


Pandaria

by TherealKyena



Series: Exiled Ones [3]
Category: World of Warcraft, World of Warcraft - Various Authors
Genre: Adventure & Romance, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Friends to Lovers, Getting to Know Each Other, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Love Confessions, Mutual Pining, Past Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Strangers to Lovers, Suggestive Themes, Unrequited Love, idiots to lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-04
Updated: 2020-01-06
Packaged: 2020-02-18 15:57:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 31,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18702808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TherealKyena/pseuds/TherealKyena
Summary: Falkhen is dragged to Pandaria to track down one of Myn'ra's enigmatic friends, one that he barely heard of. Is this more than he bargained for?





	1. On The Road Again

Lahk’heim was always so cold. Almost brutally so. But Falkhen wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. The smoke covered walls had become his home. The smells of wood and smoke and  _ cold _ . Wet furs and wool. He’d been crafted a whole new wardrobe living here, one that was more suited to the environment. Fur and thick wool, all embroidered and done up with various Kaldorei designs. His thick winter cloak even boasted a great branching tree across it; the last gift from Kyena before Myn’ra and himself went to Winterspring.

He had been surprised, after that moment he shared with Myn’ra, that she asked him to live in Lahk’heim so quickly. 

But who was he to refuse?

He raised his head from tending to the fire, watching Myn bring in their dinner, muttering to Araeshi’lahkos before he watched his enormous form pass by the window. “Good hunting?”

She held up her catch with a wide smile. “Snowshoe rabbits. Nothing more. Enough for tonight and some to cure for later. I’ll go out tomorrow and try for an elk.”

He watched her shed her cloak and hood. Peeling her gloves from her hands and setting them by the rest of her sodden outerwear. The leathers and layers of woolen shirts. He spied one of his own, on her more like a dress, and smirked. “Does the length make it warmer?”

She returned his wicked smirk. “I find it keeps me plenty warm when it's cold,” She rubbed her frozen hands together, a dangerous gleam coming over her eyes, “And I’m positively  _ frozen through. _ ”

He rose so fast he nearly knocked everything into the fire.

~~~~~~

She was so small and fragile in his arms. Her cheeks all flushed and warm against his chest. The steady thumping of her heart under his arm, against his flesh. He found himself watching her, studying her; wondering beyond wonder how something so perfect and precious could be held within his arms. Loving her was easy. Easier than anyone. It filled his heart with ease and calm. He told her stories of his home. Of his first home he’d ever known on the Genedar, of Breorhan’s birth shortly before they came to Draenor. Of sweet little Serah and his cousins. Of Ishe and her beautiful voice that enchanted everyone in Embaari with her songs and her harp.

Every story he had, he told her during those blizzards that were a part of Winterspring. And she told hers. The story of her own birth in her old home by the sea. The wildness that she’d run through the woods around Suramar when she was a child, stalking through it like a wolf or saber rather than a girl. She told her story of the War of the Ancients, of fleeing with an infant named Rynath, of finding her brother again. She recalled her flight with the great Nyreenastrasza, one that skinned her inner thighs, but ones that the dragoness had healed afterward. She filled his mind with the legends of Tor’landa and Lan’reli. Of the first Fa’lore Dracon and her gentle, noble sister.

And of Tor’landa’s death.

She even told the story of the bet she’d made with one of her friends, one that ended up in her having to shave her  _ eyebrows _ off.

_ “You had to shave your brows off?” Falk asked incredulously. _

_ “Swear by Elune.” She said with a chuckle, one hand held up. “It was so long ago, I don’t even remember the bet.” _

_ Both fell into easy laughter and spoke the night through. _

But still, the tale of her scar eluded him. He wasn’t expecting it. In fact, he had the suspicion that it wasn’t the best tale. Nor was the parts of her tales that she left out. He’d catch her hesitate over certain details or turn deeply thoughtful. But if she wanted him to know, he’d know. So he let her take her time. They had no rush. They had time.

He twined one of those long blue-black locks between his fingers and watched the low light from the fire glimmering off of it. She’d even said that some of the Kaldorei’s hair could shift  _ between _ colors. The infant boy, Rynath, had hair like that, shifting between pale green and blue.

He saw her lips twitch into a smile as her eyes danced beneath her lids. He found himself smiling too, leaning down to press a kiss to her mussed hair. “Edos echoun ein eromai, soran. Eroein.” He whispered into her hair.

She stirred when he started to pull away. Groaning, she hooked a leg around his waist. “You’re not allowed to leave.” Her voice was rough with sleep.

He turned toward her now, brushing stray locks from her eyes as she opened them slowly. Something in his face made her jolt and sit bolt upright, staring down at him fully awake now. “What?” He questioned after she stared at him for what felt like hours.

Her eyes softened. She lost the tension that had suddenly coiled through her body. She heaved out a sigh and rubbed at her face. “Just...the way you looked at me.”

“I’m...sorry?” He said, confusion still curling around his mind.

She sighed again and dropped her hands to her lap. “It just reminded me of someone, that’s all.” She snatched up her discarded Falk shirt-dress and tossed it over her head, leaving the bed first, leaving Falk dumbfounded by her. “Are you hungry?” She called once she reached the embers of the fireplace. He could see her squatting next to it, stoking it back into a low fire and restarting their long forgotten dinner.

He rose, neglecting his clothes, and leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest. “Something’s bothering you.”

He watched her shoulders tense under his shirt.  _ Caught you. Now talk to me, Myn, please _ .

It was quiet for a few heartbeats before she found her words. “I have a friend. A friend I’ve had since childhood. Last I heard, she was heading to the new continent, Pandaria. I haven’t heard from her since.”

“You want to go find her.”

She turned and met his eyes. He smiled at the fire that was kindled there. Eyes as stormy and turbulent as the sea. “I have to. I owe her.”

“When do we start off?”

She looked at him with a mixture of horror and awe. He wasn’t sure which it was. “Well,” She snapped her mouth shut for a moment as she drew closer, almost sauntering, “I suppose two would be better than one. But last anyone heard of her she was in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms headed to Krasarang.”

“Back on the road.” He quipped with a smirk, eyes dropping to meet hers.

“Back on the road.” She rose to her tiptoes, Falk meeting her the rest of the way to press their lips together again. He groaned internally at the spark that fluttered in his chest like an ember that hissed and popped on the hearthstones.

~~~~~~

Myn stalked through the camp. People parted around her like the seas with eyes filled with fear. She marched along until she found the leader’s tent in the midst of the camp. Throwing the flap open and ducking in she was face to face with the one she’d come all this way to find.

At least Falk agreed to stay back at the village an extra day. They could use the extra guard and Myn could use the extra day to figure out  _ how in the world  _ she was going to break this to both of them.

Taylnar Bladesong’s eyes widened at the appearance of Myn. Then she gave her a stiff salute, her arm over her chest. “Mush’a Seawhisper.”

“Nar.” She ground out. Her eyes met the others in the room. Each squeaked out their graces and fled as quick as they could, leaving Nar and Myn alone.

She watched Nar gulp, chewing on her lip in that infuriating way, dark silver eyes dancing all over the floor. “I’m still alive.” She offered at last, now meeting Myn’s hardened eyes.

_ Elune’s breath… _

“After Serpent’s Heart you  _ disappeared, _ Nymia.” She willed her voice to stay steady. It was almost accusatory. She knew that news from the Pandaren war fronts came slowly, especially to remote Winterspring, but she couldn’t fight the feeling that had settled on her after those long months of hearing nothing from Nar. “After the Alliance made landfall in Krasarang, still  _ nothing _ . Nar,  _ where did you go? _ ” She was all but shouting now, the deep well within her yawning open at her fury. Kyena may be a dragon but Myn was the ocean. Deep and limitless and  _ fearless _ .

“I couldn’t send you a letter in the middle of battle, now could I?” Nar spat back. Little Dragon. So much of Kyena etched herself onto Nar. How had she been blind to it before?

“Right, because the Little Dragon has become a glorified  _ mercenary  _ for the Alliance. I’d forgotten. How many treasonous fools have they had you hunt down? How much blood is on your hands?”

They both stared at each other, opposite and so similar. Neither wanted to admit that they both were wrong now. 

It was Nar that broke first. “I missed you.” She said in that infuriatingly soft way, her eyes turning to liquid silver. Myn had seen those eyes before, turned to madness, harsh and glinting as the sword-

“I missed you too, my little dragon.” She held her arms open as Nar launched herself towards Myn. Two heartbeats later, Myn had fisted her hand into that deep purple hair as they reunited after the long years apart. Nar became pliable under her hands, just as she had dozens upon dozens of times before. They’d danced this dance before. And dance they did, clearing the war table of its pieces as Myn backed Nar against it hard. She captured Nar’s hands easily, pinning them above her head, the rest of her smaller body under Myn’s bigger one. She held them in one hand as she pushed aside the collar of Nar’s shirt and bit at that dragonmark upon her collarbone.

And Myn could almost forget that nagging in the back of her head. To stop before someone got hurt. But how could she stop when she loved both of them? How could she live with hurting  _ either _ of them by suddenly choosing the other? She didn’t love Falk more than she loved Nar. She loved them both as fervently as the other.

_ Is this what Kyena felt all those years ago when Lan disappeared? When Draen fell into himself and drowned and Jaleth wanted to feel loved? Did she hate herself this much too? Did she wish she could make up her mind? _

But it didn’t matter, not to Myn, as they stripped each other of their gear. And she felt like the world’s biggest hypocrite for passing such harsh judgment on Kyena. What right did she have when she couldn’t choose?


	2. Discovery

Falk found himself striding through the milling of the camp while everyone cast him sideways glances. Not necessarily filled with malice or hatred. More mild curiosity as to why a Draenei was suddenly entering their camp and heading towards their leader’s tent. His eyes scanned the crowds as they went on their duties, past popping fires where there were some cooking and drying things off, smoke from the green wood blowing away on the breeze that sometimes drifted lazily through the wild tangle of jungle that the Pandaren called Krasarang. This group was a long way away from any other Alliance encampment in the area, somewhere between the sentinel basecamp to the north and the Horde encampment to the south. It wasn’t a large camp but it boasted a sizeable force, one that was mostly scouts and others trained in spying and subterfuge.

He paused when he heard Myn’s laugh issue from the tent beside the leader’s. It was still sizeable, though a little less grandiose and he turned towards it. Another voice laughed along with her.  _ Good, she found her friend. _

"Myn'ra?" He called out as he opened the tent flap, expecting them to be laughing around drinks at the small table shoved into the corner.

What he didn’t expect to see was the two of them still tucked away in bed with each other.

The world turned to a distant ring in his ears as he saw Myn jump up through what appeared to be water, tugging on her clothes as she muttered her pleas through the murk. The panic on her scarred face twisting it as it swam further before his eyes. The smile he’d been wearing melted from his face.

She was wearing his shirt.

Something snapped in his chest. Fell to her feet. A severing.  _ Snip. Snip. Snip. _

“ _ Oh. _ ” He murmured, unsure if his voice even escaped his closing throat.

His face went numb. He could only feel the hot tears sliding down to drip against the ground. He turned slowly, it felt like the days were rushing past but also achingly slow as he fled from his lover.

~~~~~~

Nar’s lips parted. She flicked her eyes between the recently vacated tent opening and Myn. Ice cracked through her joints. Through her belly. She fought against that sinking feeling as she reached for her clothes and tossed her shirt over her head. “Who was that?”

No response. She’d turned to stone standing there.

"Who was he, Myn?" She prodded, buckling her belt back.

Myn didn't move. Instead, she swayed on her feet. Face blank. Drawn tight.

She spun her around and made her look her in the eye. “Who was that man, Myn’ra? Was that the man you told me about?”

“His name is Falkhen.” She muttered, her lips barely moving, like she hadn’t registered what exactly Nar had said. “We were together. He’s the man I told you about.”

“Myn, you’re worrying me.” Nar’s brows raised ever so slightly. She moved her away from the opening and sat her in the nearby stool.

She finally met her eyes. Her chest ached double now. She still hadn’t come to terms with someone staying at Lahk’heim again but she wasn’t there. She hadn’t been there for a long time. She could allow Myn to have a touch of happiness. But it still hurt all the same. Especially since he was here now.

_ And looking like that…no wonder Myn fell for him. _

She shook the thought away erratically. She’d seen his brokenhearted face and wished it wouldn’t have gone away. How could she be like that? Where had it come from? 

But no time for that.

Nar sighed and gave Myn a sad smile. “He can give you something that I can’t. I can’t give you stability, Myn. I can’t give you all of me. I always have to leave. I’m sorry Myn. I’m sorry for not being there-”

“This is not about  _ you,  _ Nymia!” She spat suddenly. “I still love you with every fiber of my being. I cannot explain  _ why _ I love him so fiercely too. I  _ hate  _ myself for it. I hate it! Why can’t I make a choice?” She sobbed, finally letting her tears fall from her eyes. “Why can’t I stop hurting the people I love?”

Nar threw her arms around Myn. Smoothed back her hair. “I love you my wolf. You are my weakness.” She pulled away from Myn to look her in the eye. “But I am hurting. Hurting for myself and for you. I-”

Myn’s slim fingers came up to cup Nar’s cheek. She nearly melted into it. “And you are mine. Like no other. You were the first,” She pressed her lips to Nar’s brow, “You are the Blood of my blood. My moon. My dragon. I don’t want to give you up. I don’t want to break your heart anymore. I’m sorry, my Nymia, I’m sorry that I broke your heart. I didn’t want to. But I’m selfish. I wanted to have both.” Sincerity burned in those bright silver eyes.

Nar blinked at Myn.  _ Out of all the people in this wide world, Myn has stuck by you the longest. Throughout everything. The crazy not-mother. The dreams of...The endless fighting against Nilan and whatever other enemies they had. She’d held her when those nightmares came. Told her that what happened to her was not her fault. This did not change anything. _ She decided.  _ I cannot be everything for her. _

“Go get him back.” She implored as she rose from Myn.

Myn blinked up at her blankly. “What?” 

“You are  _ my  _ weakness. I want you to be happy. If he can make you happy too...go get him back.”

~~~~~~

He knew she’d approached. He’d know that faint footfall anywhere. The faint smell of her wolf. She’d taken to riding the damned thing. It was as big as a saber and just as strong as an elekk. Or so he presumed. He didn’t want to tangle with the beast anyway. He rather liked living.

He was where he’d always go after a breakup. To drink. And the Pandaren knew how to serve it strong. It wasn’t that far of a walk from the mercenary camp to the little village they’d flown into from the Vale. The Brewmaster took pity on him and kept his tankard topped off. Falk was about to finish his fourth when the brewmaster grew silent.

That meant that she’d shown up. He was nowhere near drunk enough for that hurt again.

So he kept his back to her. Let her come to him.

_ Oh Falk you petulant little child. _ Whispered that little voice in his head.  _ You knew getting involved with Myn was going to be trouble and you did it anyway. And now you’re in too deep. How far will you fall this time without someone to make you laugh? To make you forget your pain? _

So he half turned and gave her a once over.

And gasped at her disheveled look. Leaves had made nests in the knotted, windswept tangle of her hair. Grime streaked her face intercut with clear tracks from where she’d been crying. Her whole face was blotchy and strained. She looked paler than usual.

This was not the Myn he was used to.

“Myn’ra?!” He gasped, starting to rise.

She crossed the room quickly, pressing a hand to his shoulder and gently pushing him back down. “I got here as fast as I could. Crashing through the jungle sobbing because you’re the greatest fool that ever lived does a number on your appearance.”

He cast a glance to her hand still on his shoulder. She jerked it off with a sheepish look and lowered herself slowly into the stool opposite him. Her hands were folded in her lap. She almost seemed collapsed in on herself, not meeting his eyes. “I have no excuse. None. I don’t deserve one. I was stupid and thoughtless and I hurt both of you,” She tentatively reached out for his hand and slid her fingers over his when he didn’t jerk it away, the corners of her mouth lifting into a quick smile, “But I want to try again. I don’t want to lose you. Words will not make this better. Neither will a half-assed apology. But I want to  _ try. _ ”

He turned his head towards her now, leaving the stationary spot on the distant wall to focus on her. On her hopeful expression. On that burning sincerity turning her bright silver eyes to molten metal. But he saw the flicker of doubt come over them the longer he stayed silent. He was never good at words. Never saying how he felt.

So he slid his hand out from under Myn’s and brushed a wild tangle of hair from her eyes. Let his thumb trail over her cheekbone. “I couldn’t leave you behind if I wanted to. You are part of me now.” Falk wiped away her tear. Retracting his hand after. “I still love you, Myn’ra. But I can’t come between you two. I can’t do that. She was here first.”

“Falkhen-” She let it trail off. 

“When were you going to tell me?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Were you ever?”

Again she shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Did you actually love me, Myn’ra, or was I just a pastime?”

She grew stormy at that, rising from her stool, and knelt before him. She looked him in the eye when she spoke. “You were never a game. I loved you. I still love you. I swear it. I don’t know what I was thinking, Falkhen. I don’t know at all. I can’t explain it. I don’t have the words.”

“You could have told me.”

“Would you still have come with me to Winterspring if I told you? Would you have stayed? Come all this way to Pandaria to rescue my mate?”

_ Would I? _

_ Yes. A thousand times over.  _

"How do we move past this?" He asked.

Her face turned from pain to confusion to thinly veiled hope. “We?” She breathed, one brow raised.

“You’re not my first.”

“I know Lyorien-”

“He wasn’t my first either.”

Her eyes narrowed as he let a smile curl at his lips. “I’ve been around a little bit. I expected the same of you. What I would have appreciated is if I wasn’t lead around by my nose. I would have been fine if you told me about her. She’s rather pretty. You’re lucky.”

Myn’s mouth fell open as she gathered her thoughts. “I am, aren’t I? She’s forgiven a fool like myself.” She regained her seat and narrowed her eyes once more after silence blanketed them for a few heartbeats. Then she turned to him, her knee touching his. “Have you been in a relationship like that before?”

“Once or twice.” His voice was deadpan. “Though it was more stacked towards males.”

“Is it...common?” Inquisitiveness had gotten the better of her.

“It used to be very common, or so I’ve heard, back when we ruled Argus. We live for a very long time. Children aren’t that common, at least they used to be. I’m not saying that we are promiscuous by any means. But it makes sense. We cannot be everything for our partners.”

"Falkhen, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you."

He paused a moment. Considered his words. He didn’t want to fuck this up. "I forgive you, Myn. You had your reasons."

She looked up at him like he’d gifted her the world. “Thank you.”

“I take it she doesn’t like me very much.” He deadpanned, smirking when it made her let out a snuffly laugh as she wiped at her eyes.

“I think she’s angrier at me, Falk.”

“She wouldn’t like meeting me for real, then?”

Myn sucked in a breath and shrugged. “She hasn’t torn into me like I expected her to. I did tell her about you though. But...I couldn’t muster the courage to tell you. I didn’t want you to leave and I went overboard with that.”

He grinned ruefully. “We all fuck up, Myn. What you’re doing now speaks more to your character than you trying to keep the peace, so to speak.” He rose and extended his hand out to her. “Why don’t we all meet in a better context. We got off on the wrong hand.”

Myn let out a peal of laughter as she slapped her hand into his and let him haul her to her feet. “The expression is ‘off on the wrong foot’, Falk.”

“I know,” He grinned down at her, “But I got you to laugh.”


	3. Fresh Starts

The wolf had carried Falk before. It did so again without much hesitation. Now he was clinging to the poor thing as Myn raced it along back towards camp. His heart exulted at the strength that carried him so easily through the tangle of the jungle. One that Myn seemingly didn't have to direct. It was almost like the beast read her mind and knew.

She sat back, Falk mirroring her, as she came up to the mercenary camp. She may be with them now but seeing a wolf come exploding from the jungle would set any Alliance off. She hailed the guards and let Stormwolf saunter into the camp with a nod to each of the humans. Falk gave them both a smirk and a wave.

Nar was waiting for them outside her tent, sitting on a sawn log bench, poking at a dying fire. She looked up when she caught sight of Stormwolf. “You came back.”

Myn let Falk slide from Stormwolf first, awkwardly sliding backward to land on his hooves and stretching with a groan. “Yes.”

She rose and looked up at him, craning her neck to do so. Something flickered behind her eyes for a moment. Deliberation? “Taylnar Bladesong,” She declared, sticking her hand out. “Nar for short.”

He could’ve circled her arm twice over as he gave her the traditional handshake. “Falkhen of Draenor.” 

“It's nice to meet you under better circumstances.”

Falk smiled a bit. “You too.”

They didn’t move for a few moments. Taylnar with that strange look on her face as her eyes flicked over Falk. Until Myn cleared her throat, it was as if they were transfixed on each other.

“Why don’t we all get some sleep? I think there’s an extra-”

“He can stay with us. There’s room in this ridiculous tent they’ve given me.” Nar supplied, a touch overeager.

Falk eyed the tent as he watched Nar out of the corner of his eye. She was short. Shorter than any Kaldorei he’d ever seen. Barely reaching the bottom of his chest. A wild tangle of deep purple crowned her head, reminding him immediately of Kyena’s own. Those dark silver eyes were watching him too. Her expression, lingering between confusion and a nameless ache, made the edges of her the twin blades crinkle. They were works of art much like Kyena’s own, like the tattoos that Kyena herself would do for her soldiers. Her arms were thick as Thalysa’s had been, though Nar did look a bit leaner than Thalysa. That woman had been a bear all the way around. Faint curves could be seen under the plain tunic and breeches that she wore.

Myn was just beginning to retort when Falk turned to them. “Okay.”

Nar’s lips parted, looking at him with disbelief. The same expression was on Myn’s face as well. Then she cleared her throat and led the way in.

~~~~~~

They each found a corner to stand in, looking at the others with trepidation. Nar was surprised when he agreed to the arrangement. She watched him stride gracefully into the tent. He moved like someone smaller and leaner, not the giant of a being she had seen. He ducked under the tent ‘door’ expertly, making sure his sword didn't catch on anything to send it sprawling across the room and stood. Albeit a little hunched. He gave them both a small smile, one that barely lifted the corner of his mouth and sniffed. “So...what do we do now?”

Myn sighed as well. “I suppose I better tell the commander here what we’re doing. Who we are. I’ll be back in a little while.”

Myn left the pair alone to awkwardly shuffling around each other. After a few moments, Nar had enough and sat down, gesturing for Falk to do the same.

He had surprising grace for someone of his stature. She studied him when he sat. Her eyes fell at first to the messy mop of blond that sprang every which way, probably from the ride over on Stormwolf. The proud crown of his horns, curling high from his head, perhaps as long as her forearm and just as thick. The broken curve of his nose. His lips- then she saw his brow raise at her and she met those endless blue eyes that seemed lit from within, much like her own.

She choked and cleared her throat with a cough, quickly sitting up. “So what brought you two together?”

“I had a boyfriend before I met Myn. Lyorien. We had met during the campaign in Outlands. Its where I met Kyena at first. She didn’t particularly like me.” He’d leaned in towards her as he spoke though he dropped his eyes to the floor.

Nar smiled at the thought. “She doesn’t like a lot of people.”

“I’ve gathered.” He broke into a wide smile, one that made his eyes disappear, laughing deep within his chest. It was a comforting sound.  He brushed a hand through his hair and met her eyes once more.

Nar let her eyes drop. The heat in his eyes was too much.

He cleared his throat and crossed his tree trunk arms over his chest. “I followed him into Northrend, after Outlands. We were together for a long time. Then he...turned his back on me. Myn helped me. She was my friend. Until she didn’t want to be.” His voice was soft. Thoughtful.

_ He loves her. _ Her head sang at her. The thought didn’t send hurt through her heart. But it didn’t make her happier either. Some sort of in-between feeling she couldn’t identify. She jumped up, smoothing at her tunic before she clucked her tongue. “I’m tired, Falkhen, may we speak more in the morning?”

He rose and gave her a light bow. “Goodnight, Taylnar.” He rumbled, sending a chill up Nar’s spine.

~~~~~~

_ The dragon flew overhead, blazing red and copper high above him. It was alone for the longest time, twisting and turning through the clouds, fire jetting out at unseen enemies. Then it was joined by another. Another red streak thundering through the sky. Then the first was gone, snuffed out suddenly, mid-fire. The second dragon never grew much larger. Never reached the leviathan size of the first. _

_ The third threatened to be large enough to devour the world. It quickly overgrew the second dragon. Each scale was a glittering shield. It passed so low he got a look at those shining silver eyes, regarding him with a touch of hostility that quickly turned soft. A powerful burst from its’ wings and it was soaring high above him once more. _

_ His eyes caught movement and he turned towards it. Three more dragons fled to the crimson leviathan that spiraled lazily above him. The first was followed closely by a second, then a third. More shapes moved above him, his heart exulting at the sight without knowing why. Eight dragons wheeled around him. Mostly red, with one of green and bronze. _

_ The Bronze suddenly fled from the sky as it burned with a sickly green hue. Only the faint sounds of its cries could be heard. Almost as if it was begging for something. _

_ One red dragon drifted to the ground before him and landed with a bone-rattling thud. Out from the trees behind him sprang a saber, snarling. It was colored green and silver with crackling amber eyes. It launched itself at the landed dragon with a furious roar and sank its teeth into the dragon’s neck. _

_ “No!” Falk cried, staggering forward as if he waded through the mud. It was a strange land he walked through, shattered apart with rivers and streams crisscrossing it. He almost took it for Darkshore but he’d never set hoof in the place. Only heard stories about it. “You’ll die!” _

_ The saber whirled on him, blinking at him with seven amber eyes. “Have you had the dream? The one with the seven-eyed saber that watches from the outside? I have. And I murdered my sister for it.” With one more ferocious bite, the dragon gurgled out its last breath, falling with another thud and staring up at Falk with those mad dark silver eyes. Her form quickly melted to that of a girl, bloodied and broken, her blood drifting into the waters below. “But she wasn’t my sister. I am no dragon.” The saber slunk towards him now, blood all over its mouth. _

_ He took a step back, followed by another. Turning now, he was greeted with another sight. _

_ A woman. With such long pine green hair that it dragged the ground. In her arms was a baby. A baby that laughed and babbled to her with their silver hair streaming around them. They let out a little cry when they noticed Falk, the woman turning. But when she turned to look at him he beheld the face of a saber. When he let out a cry she fell and changed. A saber colored green, green as her hair had been, with silver eyes flecked with gold chips. She came closer, letting out a mournful cry. “Where is my family? Where have they gone?” Ever closer she stalked, slinking and smooth as the saber she’d become. _

_ A wolf stalked forward, walking upright like a man. Roses covered it. Crowned it. A cloak made of a green striped sail fluttered behind it, on it was a sigil of an anchor. Tawny, almost verging on a light chocolate brown, and nearly as tall as him. Ghosts flanked them. Weighed them down, clinging to their shoulders, their cloak, their legs. Sea green eyes stared at him, pleaded with him. “Help me,” She begged, “I cannot carry this all alone.” _

_ The figure that came towards the both of them was shifting. First a man, then a woman, a man again. The green haired saber woman from before. A thousand faces flashed across this one as it came closer to the wolf and the saber woman, drifting like fog. Like fel green smoke. _

_ He turned to his left, to look away from the scene that made his heart weigh too heavy in his chest. Another woman, not human, not elven; stared at him with ageless eyes. With eyes that bespoke of everything that had happened. That may happen. That was happening now, at this very moment. _

_ Two silver snakes twined around his legs, locking him in place as the stranger came closer. Silver. Silver. Silver for hair. Silver for eyes, flecked with gold. How they hissed and spat at each other! _

_ “You must go to her. To find love you must find the name of the dragon. Then will you know the truth. Look for the mark.” _

_ The woman drew closer. Sand seemed to drift over her, through her bone-white hair. “To help these ones you have seen you must unite the three. Three becomes one when you find the dragon’s mark. Heart and hand.” _

_ "Find the dragon's mark.” She implored, pushing him backward easily. _

~~~~~~

Falk awoke with a start. Panting. His eyes drifted around the side room of Nar’s tent, at the sword that rested on the small table waiting for him to take it up. At the little odds and ends he had taken with him. The book that Myn had gifted him, still sitting open at the page he'd left it on, dragons dancing over the page. No wonder he had such strange dreams. He'd read over the story of Tor'landa and her dragon before he slept, in that book that appeared as if it had been thumbed through hundreds of times. His breathing slowly returned to normal before he wiped his hands on his face and looked down at himself.

On his chest was the faint dust of sand. In the shape of the stranger's handprints. He brushed at the marks until there was nothing left but his blue skin once more.

“What the fuck was  _ that?”  _ He muttered under his breath.

~~~~~~

Falk struck the flint once more, a spark shooting into the tinder, where it crackled for a moment before it caught. He blew on it as he transferred it over to the firepit, hoping to get something warm into his empty belly, even if it was the jungle. Myn was gathering the ingredients and cutting them, Nar watching from her perch on the bench outside their tent as a commotion next door sent their commander outside their tent with an angry huff.

Falk deduced it was a human woman, her eyes scanning her camp before they fell on the trio. A woman with fiery red hair and clear green-blue eyes and a wolfish grin. She was tall for a human, though shorter than Nar by a good few inches. A leather cuirass armored her, tooled with roses and wolves. Plain pants topped with gleaming leather boots laced tight. She sported a sword and dagger on her side and a rifle on her back, polished until the wood glowed like honey. 

Nar introduced them quickly as the leader gave them both once overs. She lingered on Falk the longest. “Falkhen. This is Cyristalen Bywater. Cyri, meet Falkhen.”

Cyristalen let out a laugh and slapped her hand into Falk’s. “Good, we need more muscle around here, Nar couldn’t carry us all forever,” She turned towards Nar now, “Speaking of, I have a mission for you.”

“What do you need?”

“Our scout hasn’t come back in a few days. I need you to locate where they may be and recover the info before someone else finds it. The Horde seems to be moving in more and more troops to this area and the Sentinels are stretched thin enough as it is.”

Nar nodded at them. “Of course. Right on it.”


	4. Field Work

Walking through the jungle wasn't fun. It wasn't like walking through the woods where there could be clear paths to follow or ones without underbrush that seemed to reach out and grab your legs and feet with every step. The insects swirling around your ears didn't help either.

Falk trailed along behind Nar, who knew the jungle in this part better than either of them. She'd been traipsing them for the better part of six months after the Serpent's Heart. Cyristalen had sent them to track down a wayward scout, one that usually answered back fairly quickly. To have them out of touch for so long was worrisome.

_ And now I get to sweat through my armor through this Light-forsaken jungle on a long forgotten continent. _ He grumbled internally. An insect whizzed past his ear. He’d gotten used to them so he didn’t find himself flinching and trying to swat it away. It was still miserable to deal with. Between them and the heat, he didn’t know which was worse.

They had been walking for a few hours by this time and they all looked a little worse for wear. They had no idea what they would find when they reached the scout’s last known location. Falk plodded along dutifully behind them all. 

Nar glanced over her shoulder a few times, slowing to let Falk catch up as he lumbered through the jungle. He felt his brow knit together as he watched her, looking quite formidable in her full armor, and sped up a bit. He didn’t want to keep her waiting, especially out in the open like this. As dense as the jungle could be that didn’t mean that it wasn’t crawling with Horde just waiting for them. The trolls were particularly adept at moving through the jungle. It was their home after all. Falk had to admit that it had a strange beauty to it. But the heat was a bit off-putting for him.

Nar waited underneath a flowering tree, a breeze picking up to scatter the delicate petals in the wind. He slowed as he watched her. Time seemed to slow along with his gait. She cleared her throat and gestured for Falk to keep walking. He obliged, Nar falling in step beside him. They walked in silence for a while before Nar spoke up in a voice low as a murmuring stream.

“What brought you to Azeroth?’ She drawled, eyes still scanning the jungle around them, aware as ever. Myn did much the same when Falk shot her a quick glance. He could’ve sworn that he’d seen her head twisted around towards the both of them half a second before.

He fought back a smirk. “I’d say the Exodar.”

The smack on his arm broke him into laughter that he quickly tamped down at Myn’s angry look.

“Smartass.” Nar hissed, biting back laughter of her own. “What brought you out  _ here? _ ”

“You asked,” He drawled, holding aside a low hanging branch for Nar, “What brought me out of Azuremyst was Ishetii. She thought she was going to leave me behind to go out and adventure.”

“Ishetii’s your sister?” She arched a brow. Her tone was almost touched with...anger? Indifference? Falk couldn’t tell as they both plodded along.

He shoved aside more foliage. “My twin. She calls herself the eldest.” He rolled his eyes at the thought. He’d heard the story of their birth dozens of times. “I arrived holding onto her ankle,” He tilted his head towards her, “Or so my parents told me.”

A beat of silence as she mulled over her words. “What happened to them?”

“My parents?” He said with a grunt as he vaulted a fallen tree, letting Nar use his arm to help her over after him. “They died on Draenor.”

_ But that’s not exactly true is it Falk? _

Before he could see Nar’s face he continued on. “My mother did. She was taken away from our home by an Orcish warband and brought her to power the Dark Portal, along with my younger brother, Breorhan. When the Orcs came to Talador they attacked Shattrath with a foul liquid that twisted them into...something else. The Prophet knew that some of our people would have to say behind. My father volunteered. Told us to take Serah and run with the other refugees and Velen. We were hardly out of the city before they started pouring it.” He found the words pouring from himself. But he didn’t fall apart like he expected to. It hurt, yes, but he wasn’t overcome as he had been before.

“I’ve seen something similar used on my people, though it melted flesh from bone instead of mutating them.” Her tone turned cautious, soft. “Who’s Serah?”

A pang shot through his heart. Little Serah. “She is-was my little sister. The last of us, born on Draenor.” His voice was grave. “She died during an attack on the way. Ishetii and I couldn’t protect her.”

“I’m...sorry.” She was quiet for a long while, longer than before. All he heard was their footfalls through the soft ground. It surprised him when she spoke again. He thought she was going to remain silent for the rest of their march.

“I know what it's like to lose your family like that.” Her voice was just as sorrowful.

He turned his head towards her and gave her a quick nod. “I’m sorry too.” A beat of silence like she had done before. Then he couldn’t help himself. “What happened to your family?” He said it with the same touch of sadness as she had. They locked eyes when Nar twitched her head towards him.

He saw her stiffen and blink up at him. “I...I had a brother. A little brother. He was killed because I wasn’t strong enough to protect him when I should have.” Her eyes blinked faster now, fighting back tears. “I don’t know where the rest of them are.” Her voice cracked on the last word now.

_ Great, Falk, you ass. You made her cry. _

He raised his hand to put it on her shoulder but dropped it with a sigh. “Sometimes...it doesn’t matter how strong we are. Sometimes we’re just in the wrong place at the wrong time.” He cleared his throat. “I was. I couldn’t help Ish keep an eye on Serah and they took her away from us.”

She turned thoughtful, mulling it over in her head. Then she lifted her head to give Falk a look full of hope. “Thank you.”

“It's not your fault.” He muttered as he broke out in a fresh sweat. “It's hard to convince yourself otherwise but it's not your fault. Some things we just can’t control.”

“It’s not your fault either.” She said suddenly, eyes faraway.

His expression turned from sadness to confusion. “What-”

“Quiet.” Myn’s voice was low but still audible. She motioned for them to duck under cover. The trio jumped under one tree’s massive curling roots, half covered with other plants that concealed them well enough. “I see a body up ahead. In the clearing. I’ll check it out-Alone.” She added when she saw Nar starting to rise, shoving her back down with a hand on her shoulder.

She came running back, vaulting over the thick root like it was nothing, a mere heartbeat later. It was their lost scout, their throat slit and their body bloodied. Falk couldn’t tell if it had been male or female from the pure mangled mess their attacker had made of them. The bag they’d been so keen to find was missing as well.

“Something feels wrong about this,” Myn said when she came racing back to relay her findings. She was shaking her head now. Her eyes danced between the two of them. “Like this is a setup.”

“We need to take those bastards out,” Nar growled as she rose, ignoring Myn’s protestations.

“They have our intel, Nar. It doesn’t matter if we wipe it out. They know where the camp is.”

“But-”

“But nothing, Nar, they’re dead. We can’t do anything to help them but we can still help the living mercenaries. There will be other contracts further away from Krasarang.”

Nar plowed away from them, coming to stand in the midst of the clearing. “Come on, Myn, just trust me!” Her voice was too loud in the relative silence of the jungle.

“Nar, the last time I trusted you I ended up having to  _ shave off my eyebrows”  _ She hissed, running after Nar, “Now get back in cover, naen’falmina!”

“That was  _ one time  _ and you’ve never let me live that down!” She whined, whirling back towards the body of their fallen scout.

Falk shoved his sword into the soft dirt as he rested his forearms on his knees, half kneeling, between the bickering pair. “Are you two done? Can we move out from the wide  _ fucking  _ open? I like living and I prefer seeing you two live as well. Whoever set this trap might not even be around. Its broad daylight here, what fool would attack now?”

They all got their answer soon enough when their culprit launched from the trees with a band of other defectors. Alliance by the look of their tattered clothing, the bright blue of their tabards marred by dirt and grime. Falk threw himself in front of Nar, who was nearest to him, wheeling her around to face an attacker that didn’t have the ranged attack that tinged off his breastplate when he turned. “Get them!” He growled in her ear, wheeling back around with a swipe from his sword. He caught one with it, one that gaped up at him with wide eyes as they saw their innards slide out from around the massive blade. None of them wore any armor. Perhaps they thought they’d have the element of surprise. He wrenched the sword from the human with a roar and a snarl.

A snapping from the distance had him look up just in time to see Stormwolf launch himself from the jungle over Falk’s head, tearing into the attacker that had snuck up on him. Their head went sailing past him, the scream cut short. Another one raised up as the wolf stalked forward with his teeth bared. He looked positively massive with his hair raised in a tight ridge along his back. Even the air around them seemed charged somehow. Like they were seconds away from being underneath a thunderstorm. It was thick and heavy, Falk’s hair raising at the tickle of electricity. It seemed to roll off him in waves along with the rumbling of his growl.

Nar held them at the point of her sword, walking backward towards the massive wolf. She brushed one hand on his side and looked into those ice blue eyes and back at the defector. “Endu.” She muttered as she pointed at the human with her sword.

Stormwolf let out a yowl and took a ferocious leap forward, putting himself between the human and Nar. Again, the human futilely screamed before it was cut off, this time with a more gurgly crunch. 

The rest had met their end at the point of Myn’s arrows. They were positively riddled with them. She must’ve scurried up a tree when the fighting started. Falk let his sword drop. Nar did too. They both took a deep breath and looked around, waiting for Myn to drop from the trees. Stormwolf strode up to Nar and ruffled her hair with his muzzle affectionately. She was dwarfed next to the massive wolf and smiled up at him, scratching him deep under that thick coat and murmuring Darnassian to him under her breath. He found himself smiling at the both of them too, reaching out to pet Stormwolf too.

He heard the shot before he saw where the muzzle had flashed in the distant treeline. A burning pain shot through Falk’s left thigh as he fell with a hiss, hands dropping his sword to cover up the bleeding wound. “Sniper!” He cried, dragging himself behind a tree while he grabbed up Nar’s forearm and hauled her after him. “Stormwolf, go!” He barked, sighing with relief when the wolf took off unharmed. He was nothing but a streak of red and white disappearing without a trace into the jungle.

“Myn’s out there alone!” Nar half whispered. Then she looked down at Falk’s leg. Bad idea to have not worn the rest of his armor but he didn’t want to slow them down too much with its weight. Not that it would’ve helped against a bullet.

“I think Myn can handle herself,” He ground out, lifting his hands a little to inspect his wound. A nasty thing, one that showed no promise of slowing its bleeding. Already Falk’s hands were covered in his blue blood. He felt lightheaded. He knew he couldn’t lose too much more otherwise he might not wake up.

“Nar…” He whispered, panting now, “I think the bastard got an artery.”

Nar looked at him as if she was in a daze, just staring at the blood pooling beneath him in abject horror.

A snap had them both look up, Nar whirling on them with her sword. But it was only Myn.

“Falk!” She fell forward, her hands covering his, coming away stained in blue as darkness flirted with his vision. She turned to Nar. “You were a priestess, Nar, do  _ something! _ ”

Nar seemed to snap out of her daze. He barely felt the cold press of a dagger against the fabric of his pants. Barely heard the tearing of fabric to expose more of his wound. His hands were pushed aside easily, by whom he didn’t know. A few muttered words, a prayer perhaps, and light flashed between her hands. “I don’t know if the bullet is still in there but we can fish it out later,” She pressed them lightly to his thigh.

A pleasant sort of warmth spread from her hands to him. A comfort, a caress. The blackness retreated from his eyes, the ringing stopped in his ears. He found himself sighing in relief, half a groan. He didn’t feel completely alright, even as he felt the itch of skin mending itself back together. A wound that would’ve taken weeks to heal properly with the right medicines was mended back together within minutes. It almost didn’t feel real but he felt he could walk on it at least.

“Nar?” He blinked up at her slowly, still feeling the loss of blood. He would’ve been taken aback by the shining silvery blue light that had overtaken her normally dark eyes but he found comfort instead.

“I was a priestess in the Sisterhood of Elune. I used to be a healer.” Her voice fought against cracking valiantly. Her eyes met his, brows knit together, ears drooping. “I almost let you die.”

He found her hand and gave it a squeeze. “It's okay, Nar.” He leaned into Myn as she brushed his stray hair from his face. “I’m alright.”

Myn pressed a kiss to his brow. “Naen’falmina,” She purred, “You nearly died.”

“But I’m not dead yet.” He felt a little stronger as he said it. Then he found Nar on his other side, pressing her waterskin to his lips. He drank from it dutifully, feeling the same relief that he watched spread across Nar’s face as he did so. “Thank you, Nar.”

He thought he heard her squeak before she looked away and met Myn’s eyes. “He needs food before we go back.” He watched Myn nod, leaning into another kiss as she stood and stalked off to find something to hunt.

“And Myn,” She called, raising her voice, “I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you.”

Myn just shook her head and turned back to her hunt, already on the trail of something.

“Taylnar.” He whispered. She was back by his side instantly. “Don’t beat yourself up over this. It was an accident.” He pushed himself more upright from his previously slumped position, much to the hissed protestations of Nar. “Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.”

She chewed on her bottom lip and threw her arms around his neck. “You can’t die. You have to live for...Myn.” Her voice was husky and thick, threatening tears. 

How many times had he made her nearly cry today? Guilt flashed through him as he wrapped an arm around her, hugging her back. “I promise you that I won’t break her heart. I’d rather face the Legion alone than do that.” He blinked back his own sudden tears. He’d been close to death before but he’d never felt fear while he laid there. Not like this. He feared nothing more than to break her heart. 

He patted her back when he felt the hot trickle of her tears against his neck. “Shh, Taylnar, it's alright. All is well.”

A mumbled word. “ _ Mera _ .”

“What-”

“I’ve found something! Nar, can you help me with a fire?” Myn’s voice rang out through the clearing. They were relatively safe for the time being. Falk was sure Stormwolf was still lurking around too. He settled back against the tree with Nar’s waterskin with firm instructions to drain it slowly while they made food.

The pain still resounded through his leg even if it was healed. He’d never get used to magical healing. It may appear fine but it didn’t take away the pain. He stared down at it, at the hole that had just a few moments ago been pouring blood, and traced a finger over the smooth skin. He felt nothing from the touch. It was as if it simply wasn’t a part of him. He turned his leg over and found an identical patch of skin with the same unfeeling nature. The edges were rough and patchy but the skin that had regrown over the wound was almost silky smooth.

“Falkhen, are you going to eat?” Myn chirped, jerking him from his investigations.

“Yeah. Uh, yeah.” He stood gingerly, testing to see if he was still weak. He nearly wobbled and fell, throwing out his arm against the tree trunk to steady himself. He slid down it and sat again. “Uh...maybe I should stay here.” He felt woozy while he said it.

Myn came around the root and set their meal before him. Some rations from the camp and hastily roasted squirrel. It looked like a feast to him. As he ate he felt his strength returning. Myn pulled out her supplies, never leaving anywhere without her medical supplies of thread and a needle just in case, and quickly patched up his pants enough so that he wouldn’t be walking back with the flaps flopping all over the place.

They kicked out their fire, Stormwolf loping from the treeline, and went back on their way. The wolf kept stride with Falk, whimpering and whining the whole time until Falk turned to the wolf. “What do you want?” He groaned, wobbling on his hooves still.

“He wants to carry you.” Myn said suddenly with a smile appearing on her face.

Falk sighed and hoisted himself up, falling against the wolf’s neck and promptly falling asleep.


	5. Training

Nar kept one hand on Falk’s calf as he bobbed and dipped with the strides of Stormwolf. It gave her a small flicker of comfort. To feel the heat of his skin under her hand. The little breaths and groans in his sleep. She couldn’t shake her feeling of shame. She’d nearly let him die due to her inability to act. 

Myn kept a little ahead of them. She plowed through the jungle without a care now. Her guard was down. But there was a tension in her shoulders.  _ Is she going to tear into me later for nearly killing her boyfriend?  _ She thought ruefully. She supposed it was because he’d told her about his family. How similar they were. Him losing nearly half his family in seemingly one fell swoop. Nar having to leave them behind or losing them in other ways. Her thoughts turned back to her mother, renewing the shame she’d felt. Only this was tempered with anger. She remembered the last time they’d spoken, so many years ago now. The pure venom in her voice. The things she’d been burying until she couldn’t hold it back anymore.

She wondered what had become of Taryanda. Even after everything. Did she fade from this life? She looked so lost after. So hurt and...ashamed of her own self. Nar had long mulled over those memories of her mother. She thought she’d feel some satisfaction from it. From hurting her mother like she’d been hurt.

But she felt nothing. It was like everything had been torn from her when she saw her mother’s face crumple. She had wanted to swallow all those words back up as soon as they left her mouth but she couldn’t. She couldn’t take back the truth. Tary knew that too. It had been written all over her face. Tary had been thinking much the same about herself, Nar concluded. But that didn’t make her words any less true. Her mother abandoned her when she was a baby and left her to rot with those Elune-forsaken Silverblades.

Nar at least had the slim opportunity to  _ speak  _ with her mother. To see her. Falk didn’t have that chance anymore.  _ Do you wish you could see her one last time, Falkhen? To hear her laugh? To hear what she thought of you when you were born? To hear stories of your father? To know the truth? _ She glanced up at him, at his slumbering face turned towards her, and sighed. He looked peaceful. Her hand drifted to his hand now, tracing the bones and veins as they led up his arm. Her fingers traveled up the hardened muscles of his forearm-

“Nym.” Myn’s voice broke through her thoughts and jerked her back a step away from Falk. She felt so strange when they were alone together. A pull towards him that fizzled out when someone happened upon them. Like she was intruding on Myn’s belongings.

_ No more touching, Nym! _ She roared in her head.

Her eyes flicked between Nar and Falk, narrowing before she let the matter drop. “It’ll be dark soon. I don’t think camp is that far away. We won’t stop for the night.” Her voice betrayed no plans to flay her alive so she let herself relax a little.

Nar gave her a quick nod and they started up again. Her eyes returned to Falk before too long. Even after she resigned herself to keeping her eyes forward. Her hand found themselves tracing the muscles in his forearm again. Her thoughts turned curious as she did so. He was strong enough in combat but she wondered just how strong he actually was. She’d have to give him a test. A sparring session perhaps. He wasn’t lean like Myn, that was certain. He was built like carved stone.  _ He might beat you in a fight. But he might not. It’d be nice to see him at the point of a training sword. _

She aggressively shook away another image, one of him panting and sweaty looking up at her with hungry eyes and parted lips.

_ What has gotten into you, Nym? _ Her eyes darted back to him.

They had just broken into the clearing around camp when Cyristalen came rushing out of her tent to the three of them. Even after their long hike back Falk was still asleep astride Stormwolf. “What in Light’s name happened out there?” Her Gilnean accent came on thicker when she was upset, tending towards an almost wolfish growl.

“We were attacked. The scout is dead.” Nar gestured toward Falk. “I had to heal him. He was shot in the thigh. Otherwise we were unharmed.”

Cyri heaved out a sigh and threw her arms around Nar. “Thank the Light you are all okay!”

Nar stiffened for a moment before relaxing and hugging Cyri back. “I’m glad too.” She said quietly.

“Will you two come talk to me in my tent? I’d like a full report from each of you. Formalities and all that.” She said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

“Of course.” Nar supplied, turning towards Myn and Falk. Her eyes lingered on Falk for a moment longer. “It’ll be a few minutes before. Falk needs more healing too. He lost a lot of blood.”

“We’ll get him taken care of,” Cyri promised as she led the way back into her tent. Nar followed along haltingly, torn between going with Falk and doing her duty. “While he’s with the healers we can speak.”

~~~~~~

Both Myn and Nar watched Falk disappear with the medic. Stormwolf padded along after him silent as a shadow. Myn and Nar followed Cyri into her tent and marveled at the plushness that was all around them. Myn’s eyes flicked to Cyri.

Cyri gave it a dismissive wave again. “Kenatia didn’t want to leave me wanting here. She financed all this herself.” She told Myn when she cast her an angry look. “Please, sit.” She gestured to the two chairs opposite her desk, scattered with papers and candles. Some ink staining the wood. The inkwell with a quill waiting for Cyri to start writing. The wax heating nearby. Bits and bobbles littered the surface between the whirlwind of papers. She plopped down in her chair and leaned back, those blue-green eyes dark, more green than blue now in the low light. She let out a long sigh and rubbed at her temples.

_ A rich woman paying for everything around her...to what end would she envision investing in mercenaries in a faraway land? _

Cyri’s voice was clear when she spoke, touched with awe. “What the hell happened out there? How did you make it back?”

Myn spoke up first as she scooted forward in her seat. “I was tracking the last known whereabouts of your lost scout. We walked for about half the day before we came to a clearing. Their body was in the center, eviscerated beyond recognition, but the rose tabard was nearby. The contents of their bag were strewn about them as well. Anything relating to the deserters was gone, along with intelligence about our own camp.”

“Nothing was found?”

“Nothing. They took everything.”

Cyri took a steadying breath and gripped the arms of her chair. “Was there a woman amongst the bodies of the band that attacked you? On the shorter side. Chocolate brown hair. Dark sea green eyes.”

Myn shook her head. “All men.” She watched Cyri closely now as she let out out a tight sigh, visibly shaking in her seat. Relief poured from her as she bowed her head.

_ It wasn’t Valliona. _ She caught Cyri’s whisper. She sucked in a breath and steeled herself again. “What else?”

“When they came bursting from the trees I ran up one. I counted six, maybe seven, on the ground. I brought a couple down with my arrows. Falk and Nar took care of another two. Stormwolf took to the fight then. I was tracking down another that was retreating when I heard the shot. They must’ve too because they stopped.”

“What happened to the one you were chasing?”

Myn’s lips drew into a snarl. “You’ll find him hanging from a tree. Him and the sniper both.” She felt Nar’s eyes on her.  _ Better than they deserved. I would have fed them both to Stormwolf. _ She turned her head towards Nar, her mouth set into a grimace. “After that, I came back to find that Falkhen was struck and Nar was healing him.”

Nar’s head jerked towards her once more. Shock was written all over her face.  _ I’ll still protect you, my dragon. Until the end of my days. We all freeze sometimes. _ She gave her a short nod, barely moving her head. Nar did the same, a bit of relief loosening up her tightness. Her shoulders dropped slightly now.

Cyri turned her attention to Nar now. “Taylnar, can you tell me what happened on the ground?”

Myn turned toward her too. She watched Nar shrink a little.  _ She always hated the spotlight. _ She reached out across them, slipping her hand over Nar’s and giving it three quick squeezes.  _ I love you. _ Nar returned them with a small smile playing at her lips.

“When we came to the scout’s body, I wanted to go get a closer look of my own. Track down the people responsible. Myn didn’t, nor did Falk. They both wanted to leave. I wouldn’t listen-” She ignored Myn’s low hiss and carried on, “I put them in danger. I didn’t listen to Myn’ra when she said it would be a trap.”

Cyri paused, eyes darting between Myn and Nar.  _ Please don’t be angry at her. _ Myn pleaded her thoughts with her eyes.  _ She already is beating herself up for this. _ “You had every reason to want to avenge our companion. While it was a stupid decision I can commend the meaning behind it. That group was one of our sore spots. I didn’t think they’d find him so quickly. And so many of them. Ever since Serpent’s Heart we’ve had more and more Alliance leaving. None of them particularly friendly. What matters in that they were brought to justice, even if the Alliance won’t like the lack of trial.” she let out another sigh and let her eyes drop to the blank page that she was supposed to be writing their report on. She brought her hand up to her mouth after a few moments, biting on the knuckle as she mulled over her words. “We retreating back to sentinel camp.” She heaved the words at them, trying to get them out quickly.

“Cyri, what?” Nar began to protest, leaning forward in her seat, hands resting on the tabletop.

“But nothing. We’re thinking of breaking camp here anyway. Especially since the scout’s intel has been found. Besides, the Alliance is starting to mobilize full force here. We won’t need to stay here much longer. The Alliance can send out their own people to do their dirty work. I might go back home. It’s time to go see Aster and Millicent again. To see my daughter.”

“We can stay and fight if there’s any more-”

“Taylnar, you know that I respect you more than anyone else in this camp. I know that you are older and more experienced than I could ever hope to be. But I need you to listen to me. We are leaving and I want you to leave too. I am not your superior here but I’m making myself that right now. This isn’t an option. This is an order. You will go back to the Sentinel’s camp tomorrow, stay with the Sentinels until the Alliance comes to Krasarang, and go onwards to the Vale after that. I want you to wait for me there.”

Nar ground her teeth. Myn thought she’d have cracked them off with how hard she did it. “Fine.” Myn offered, placing a hand on Nar’s arm. “That would be wise. I don’t know if we took out all the deserters or not. If the Horde may have found anything. I’d rather be safe than sorry.”

Cyri gave her a single slow nod and shuffled some papers around on her desk. She bent to begin writing and waved them off.

Nar visibly let her anger go. “Tell Heather I said hello.” She said pleasantly enough.

_ Oh Nymia, you always want to fight. _

“Of course,” Cyri said with a smile. “Now I have orders to give out and reports to write. I’ll see you both later. I’d begin packing soon. We’ll be moving out first thing tomorrow.” She tore away from their gazes and back to her letter that she hastily began scribbling on.

Myn caught the name Kenatia in the salutation before she turned away and grabbed up Nar’s hand to lead her from the tent.

~~~~~~

Myn kept tugging her along until they ended up back in their tent. Nar couldn’t fight that sinking feeling in her chest as she skidded along behind Myn. Then she threw Nar further inside, whirling her around before she hissed at her, “Nymia, what in Elune’s name happened out there? What made you pause? Are you alright?”

The words lodged in Nar’s throat. She tried to get them out but they were stuck fast. She gave Myn a weak shrug and plopped herself down in the nearby chair. “I-”

“Nymia, I’m not mad at you. But I need to know if he’s causing problems for you...” Her tone betrayed her stoic face. It wavered ever so slightly as she sat across from Nar and scooted her chair closer so their knees were touching.

“No!” She nearly cried, gripping hard onto Myn’s arms. A fear wriggled around her gut at Myn’s implications of sending Falk away. “I mean...it wasn’t him. It was me. I saw him hurt and I just... _ froze _ . I don’t know what happened.”

“Okay.” Myn breathed as she pulled Nar to her. Her lips found her own, fierce and insistent. “You’re okay. We’re okay. I’m not mad.” She said between their kisses, gripping hard onto Nar’s jaw. Myn’s lips softened after a heartbeat, releasing her from her grip as she pulled away slightly.

She leaned against Nar’s forehead. “I worry about you, dragon. I know how you are, always keeping things inside. Tell me,” She said, breathless now, nothing more than a whisper, “Tell me what you think about him. You haven’t said a word to me about him since he arrived.”

Nar let her eyes fall closed, relishing in the comfort that Myn provided. “He seems nice,” She murmured, knowing that Myn was smiling now, “We spoke on the way. He told me about his family.”

She heard Myn’s sharp intake of breath. “He did?”  _ She knows about it too. _

Nar nodded against her forehead. “He told me about Serah and Breorhan. About his  _ mother. _ ” Her voice hitched slightly over the word. A pain shot through her heart. Myn knew it was a sore spot for her. She found Myn’s hands grasping at her own. Another wave of relief hit her at the touch. She slumped in her seat. Her eyes threatened to close on their own. “Myn, I’m tired.” She murmured.

She felt Myn rise and then she was lifted from her chair. A kiss was pressed to her hair as Myn carried her to her cot and set her on her feet. She made quick work of Nar’s armor, starting with the greaves and working her way up. With every piece that came off, Myn gave the muscles a good massage, working out the knots that the day’s stresses had brought on. Then she was pushing Nar over easily, tucking her into bed with another kiss. “Then sleep, dalah’surfal. I’ll be back in a while.”

“Don’t keep me waiting,” Nar mumbled, already drifting off.

~~~~~~

Nar didn’t rise until she heard the sounds of the camp being taken down. A pillow was shoved over her ears. Probably to block out some sound from the deconstructing camp. She threw her legs out of bed with a long groan that turned into surprise when she felt Myn’s lips against her own. 

“Good morning, Nar.” She sang, ruffling Nar’s hair. “I was just about to come and wake you. I’m packed and ready. We’re just waiting for you.”

“Falk?” A simple question.

“Doing better now. He came back to the tent after you fell asleep. They said he might feel a little weak for a few days after but that your healing had done him wonders. They surmise that the bullet passed straight through his leg and they don’t want to go digging back in it after it's been healed so completely.”

Nar nodded, mostly to herself, and cracked her eyes open. She squinted against the sudden rush of light. Her groaning had Myn laughing. She loved that sound.

“You should talk to him. He’s more coherent now.”

Something fluttered in Nar’s belly. “Talk? What would we talk about?”

Myn laughed again. “I don’t know Nymia, but he’s on his way back. He was helping the others.” She turned and went to gather her things, probably to take them to Stormwolf. 

Nar heard the low murmur of faraway voices as she finally got out of bed and changed her clothes into a pair of her traveling ones. A simple deep purple tunic edged with silver knotwork. A gift from Kyena. Soft linen pants. Her well-worn boots. Her fingers worked a new braid from her hair after she took a comb to it, hoping to tame some of the knots that had popped up during their day yesterday.

Luckily they hadn’t had time to pick up much in the way of belongings during their less than a week stay in Krasarang. How quickly things changed. Nar shoved her spare clothes into her pack absentmindedly, her mind flashing back to Falk.

Falk, turning paler and paler in front of her. The numbing panic that had risen in her chest at the relentless pouring of blood from his leg. She’d almost killed him with her inaction. Shameful tears came to burn at her eyes. She’d done that too many times in her life.

“Nar?” His voice jerked her out of her thoughts.

She wiped at her face and sniffed. “Yes?” She kept her back to him.

“Myn went ahead to the sentinel’s camp. She wanted us to walk together. I’m ready whenever you are.” He sounded chipper enough.

“Okay. Thanks.” Her voice was clipped and short.

When he tilted his head at her his expression changed into concern. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” She said with another sniffle, going back to shove more of her clothes into the pack unfolded.

He strode over and spun her around with a gentle push on her shoulder. “Nar, what’s wrong?”

She couldn’t meet his eyes. She just jumped forward and threw her arms around him, clinging to him again as she did in the jungle before they came back to camp. He wrapped his arms around her tightly as she wept.

“Nar?” His voice was laced with concern.

“I’m sorry,” Her voice was hiccuping, “I’m glad you’re okay.”

He pulled out of her grip and knelt, grabbing up one of her hands and gave her one of the softest looks she’d ever seen. It almost made her gasp. “Taylnar, I cannot thank you enough for saving me. No matter how long it took. I’m not angry at you. You don’t need to beat yourself up over this. I’d still like to be your friend. I feel like there are stories you haven’t told me yet. I’d like to hear them.” He finished with a brilliant grin, one that melted at Nar’s heart.

“It’s going to take a while for me to accept that, but…” He was close. Too close. Nar had been leaning in towards him. She jerked back and gave him a weak smile. “I want to be your friend too.”

~~~~~~

The walk back over to the Sentinel camp was quiet and uneventful. The path was tread into submission by the others leading the way, so it wasn’t too hard of a walk. He felt strong again after his night spent with the healers. He was fully armored now, as was Nar. She clucked after him while he was getting ready, helping him into his armor, saying it was the least he could do. So he reciprocated the gesture when she was struggling. He ignored her flushed face. Perhaps she was still worried about what he thought of her.

His sword thumped against his back with every step he took. Such a familiar feeling. He felt happy. Exulting in the march towards the sentinel camp under the intertwined canopy of jungle trees with the sunlight barely filtering down between them. The smell of wet earth under his hooves. The steamy heat beginning to rise with the sun.

They arrived at the camp after Myn had gotten all of her things unpacked again. They’d been staying here for two months, long enough for the Alliance to come here in full force and they’d be moving back to the Vale. Wherever they went from there, Cyri promised, they’d all be together.

He’d caught sight of training dummies set up. Ones for target practice, set up with markings for various distances and wicked looking bows. Others were for simpling hitting until you felt better. He unpacked quickly and unarmored himself, aside from his chestplate and the padding underneath.

Falk took a blunted training sword and found a lone dummy. It was time to test out his strength again.

Nar came striding over, a training sword resting on her shoulder. She was in nothing but padding that the sentinels provided as she swaggered over. “Alright, big guy, let's go. I want to see your stuff. I only saw a little bit during that fight.”

He looked down at her and his mouth fell open. “Uh, you’re not even half my size.”

“So you’re scared?” Her grin turned wicked.

A laugh bubbled out of him. It was touched with awe and incredulity. “Scared? I could hurt you!” His mind turned back to all the times he’d knocked everyone flat on their backs in Jed’hin matches. The training with the Vindicators. The only one who was his match was Ishetii. She’d been a terror back on Draenor in their classes.

_ Ishetii, Ishetii, where are you now my sister? _

“It's just sparring, Falk, not war.”

He sighed and relented. “Fine,” Looking down at his armored torso he raised a brow at Nar, “Is this going to be a problem?”

“Normally we fight bare chested.” She didn’t meet his eyes, merely picking under her nails as if that was more interesting.

He put his hand on his hip and snorted, shaking his head. “Alright. Then you need to be bare chested too.”

She jerked her head up to him, startled, when his armor hit the ground with a heavy thud. His gambeson followed suit, leaving him unprotected.

Her eyes followed the lines of his torso. Her mouth fell open, eyes wide. Then she shook it away and stood up straighter before dropping into position.

“Oh, no no, Taylnar. That isn’t fair. You said that you train bare chested,” He gestured to her training gear, “Come on.”

She gave him a lewd gesture and worked at the ties. Soon enough all that covered her chest was a thick band of cloth. But under that roiled a woman that was carved from stone. Thalysa had nothing on her. But there was a softness too. A beauty to her strength. He couldn’t keep his eyes off of her. A patch of what looked like an old burn peeked from the wide band up on her collarbone.

He knew that he’d had the same expression on her face that she’d worn before after he took his off because she smirked and dropped into her stance again. He followed suit.

She was faster than he thought. Dancing around him in that typical Kaldorei way.  _ Who trained her? _ He thought as their sword thwacked together and rang over the camp.  _ She’s so fast! _

He felt the sweep under his legs too slowly to do anything about it. Then his back struck the ground, knocking the air from him. A weight fell on top of him, rough wood pressing to his throat. Nar’s triumphant face above his. Wisps of her hair falling out of its braid to halo her face. She blew it out of her eyes, panting slightly.

_ Where have you been? _   He mouthed, mostly to himself. Then he cleared his throat and smiled. “You fight dirty.”

“I use my own advantages.” She said with a smirk as she withdrew her dagger. Then she extended her hand down to him and helped him up. “We’ll have to do that again sometime.”

He gave her a nod. “You’ll have to show me how you got so fast.”

Her eyes shone up at him. “I’d be happy to.”


	6. Songs

_ Pandaria, 4 months later... _

They’d been running with the Alliance again once they got to the Vale. A few missions here and there. Guard duty for sleepy Pandaren villages. Panicked Pandaren asking them to help out and clear out some Sha remnants from their farms. Now they were off to Kun-Lai, to the hot springs tucked away within the mountains. It was a welcome break when Cyri brought them to the hot springs.

For as much as he sparred with Nar, he felt that he got no faster. Though he did get used to her speed. He threw her in the dirt more and more often. He could start to call her minute expressions before she lunged or slashed. They were more equal now. But there were times when it was him eating dirt. They had graduated to wearing training gear since they could beat each other to bruises.

Falk gave one last long look around the snow-swept mountains and headed back inside to the warmth.

~~~~~~

Their group had needed a long break. And he’d find members of their little mercenary band spread all over the hot springs. Soaking in the waters. Helping local villages. Speaking with the Pandaren. 

Stormwolf was content being here. He was usually found in a snowdrift, staring off down into the valley far below them. It was far cry from the mountains of Northrend that he’d called home once.  _ What has become of Rykkon in that ruin? _

“Fal _ khen _ !” Someone sang.

He turned to see Myn come striding in with a smile on her face. “You seem happy.”

She blushed a little. “I suppose I am.”

He narrowed her eyes at her, a playful smile tugging at his lips. “And why is that?”

Her arms wrapped around his waist. His own rested on her shoulders, drawing her closer. “No particular reason.”

“That is a lie.” He laughed low in his throat and angled his head towards hers. Heat flared through them for a moment and they forgot where they were. “Something tells me you had a little  _ tryst _ , Myn’ra.” He whispered in her ear, lips brushing at it, making her gasp. He tugged at her hair so she’d show him her neck. He traced a bruise with his lips, kissing over it. Heat flared up between them. Falk’s hands trailed around her body until he lifted her up, Myn wrapping her legs around him, her own hands falling all over him.

“Falkhen.” She panted, pulling away. “We’re right in the middle of everyone.”

“Let them see.” It was a low growl.

“Falkhen.” More insistent.

He groaned against her neck and set her down, setting her hair back to rights along with her clothes. It was warm enough inside. Almost like summer. No need for cloaks and furs and layers. “How is Nar?”

Myn shrugged. “Sleeping.”

He tilted his head at her, his smirk returning. “Sleeping?”

Myn shrugged again with a smile playing at her lips. “I have to go hunt, do you want to come with me?” Fire danced in her eyes.

“Who am I to refuse?” He chuckled and they both took off for their rooms and some privacy in the wild.

~~~~~~

They returned with more meat to a thankful cook. It was hard to get deliveries on time, especially with the rising threats of the Sha and the Saurok in the passes. Their group had been sent to clear them out a couple of times but they kept coming back. It was almost time to go and thin them out once more. But after that day in the cold, Falk was ready to go back into the washing rooms and help out once more in the warmth.

The ladies loved his help too. He usually did it shirtless so that he wouldn’t get terribly soaked. Or so he reasoned when he was asked.

Even patrons would find one reason or another to walk past the washing rooms on their way to the hot springs or the dining hall. 

It was his job to wring out the bigger and heavier pieces, along with helping to give them a good scrub. One that the Pandaren women praised him for. Endlessly they thanked him for his help.

He took his seat by a pool and started scrubbing sheets. His mind quickly drifted to Myn and then to Nar.

 

_ “It was a race to see who could cause the most trouble and not get caught.” Nar’s face was shining, flushed with good Pandaren brews and the heat from the fires. Falk almost couldn’t tear his eyes away from her. _

_ “You have to be joking!” Falk exclaimed with a laugh. He kept his arms wrapped around himself, leaned back in his chair between Nar and Myn, all his attention on Nar. _

_ “I swear.” She snickered and met Myn’s eyes. “Do you remember? The stall owner?” _

_ Myn shook her head, a blush coloring her face. “Oh, Nar, why did you have to tell him this story?” She whined, rubbing at her face. _

_ “Come  _ **_on_ ** _!” Nar begged. “You do remember!” _

_ “Of course I remember the most embarrassing day of my life!” She hissed, though it was tempered with a rueful laugh. “You were so tiny when we were young. You could wriggle into places that I couldn’t. I miscalculated right at the end and wound up in the stall owner’s arms and my mother giving me a thorough tongue-lashing before bed. The next day I had to shave my eyebrows off and go back home and explain  _ that _to my poor mother."_

_ He looked between them both now. “What little terrors you two were. Its a wonder that city stood with you two in it.” _

 

The song started as a hum. An old song he’d heard dozens of times over between his parents. He didn’t know why it came floating up through his memory in this sleepy little village tucked away in one of the many valleys in Kun-Lai. But as he helped the washerwoman with her washing he found himself mouthing the words.

Nar’s face floated up along with the tune. Her laughing and smiling and happy. He followed the thoughts, smiling to himself now. He thought of another moment, one that was between him and Nar.

 

_ He was watching the snow fall anew when a cold weight thudded against him back, right between his shoulderblades. He whipped around and saw Nar, deliberately looking away from him with her hands behind her back. He narrowed his eyes and turned fully now. “Nar, what-” _

_ The second snowball hit him square in the face, exploding with cold powder all over him. “You!” He cried, choking on the words as he bent to pack his own snowballs hastily. The first few he packed too loosely and ended up scattering in the air before they made any contact. Nar ducked behind a low wall, while Falk retreated to a nearby stone wall that demarcated the path to the hot springs. _

_ When he bent to make more and lob one over to her he found her gone, her snowballs left behind. He dropped his upraised arm and his guard, ears only pricking up when he heard the crunch of her jumping off the ground. _

_ He caught her easily, falling backward, and rubbing the snow on her face when they landed, her doing much the same. They both laughed, laying in the snow, panting. _

_ Then the air went still. _

_ Nar was perched on top of him, staring down at him with a strange look, her lips parted. _

_ Then the moment passed and she hauled herself off with a series of apologies and a furious blush. _

_ Her face lingered in his mind long afterward. _

 

He didn’t notice the crowd beginning to gather. The song was old, and the passersby didn’t seem to mind that it was sung in Draenic. The entire thing told the story of an uncertain pair of lovers, where one was sure of their love but the other needed time to come to terms with their love. He only remembered a few lines. The tune was burned forever into his memory but most of the other stanzas were lost to time. All that remained was the last two stanzas.

 

_ Polos Edos? _

_ Edos polos echoun ein resa _

_ Edos ato ki sha, ein kalo korah _

_ Ekliedos nai Ekliein _

 

He looked up to see Nar amidst the crowd. His eyes found hers. She seemed lost in the words, staring at him strangely. It was almost that same look she’d had in the snow. An ember caught in his chest and spread throughout his body. He kept his eyes on her as he came to the last verse, one that spoke about the lovers being the same under the Light, despite their differences. 

 

_ Polos Edos? _

_ Ietos ato omos, ietos ato diateomos _

_ Ja ki Pheta, Ietos ato omos _

_ Edos polos echoun ein resa _

 

Something changed in Nar, a shift in her eyes that turned them molten. A blush crept up her neck to her cheeks that spread to her ears. But still, she wouldn’t drop his gaze.

He closed his eyes for the last long note and when he opened them again, Nar had disappeared.


	7. Questions

_What was that song?_

The thought kept whispering in her head. Over and over again. The voice had enchanted her. Made her walk towards the laundry room when she’d actively tried to avoid it before. She’d caught a glimpse of him before in there and had nearly been bowled over by the rushing employees.

But the voice. She had no idea that it came from him.

She saw him, sat at the edge of a tub, from across the open doorway. His head was down as he scrubbed at a sheet, all his focus on that and the tune that echoed through the space. She’d just gotten there when he sang the first half.

Then he had found her amongst the crowd and sang the latter half to her. She took her opportunity to leave when he closed his eyes, turning and squeezing past the gathering crowd, muttering apologies as she went. She found herself in her room and slammed the door behind her, leaning against it and letting go of a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

Nar rubbed at her face with a groan. _What has gotten into me?_ She stalked over to her window and looked out at the mountains. 

_Polos edos?_

She shook the thought of his face away from her mind. The deep timbre of his voice. The way he'd scrunched his nose at some of the notes. The strange look that had come over him when he stared at her. 

 _Can't be any stranger than you thinking about him every passing minute, Nym!_ She rubbed at her face again and threw herself down across her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Her mind drifted back to the snowball fight between herself and Falk.

 

_She saw him watching the snowflakes drift from the sky. His back was to her. She wondered briefly what he was thinking about. If his thoughts drifted to Winterspring like hers did._

_Then she bent and packed up some snow as quietly as she could and chucked it at him as hard as she could. It got him right between the shoulderblades. She had to bite her cheek and look away from him to keep from smiling His face was too much. Eyes bright from the cold, a flush across his nose and cheeks._

_He choked something out at her. She let her other ball fly._

_As it exploded she ducked behind the half wall and hastily made more. He did much the same._

_Her heat felt light in her chest. Like she was flying. She couldn’t wipe the grin from her face._

_And then he caught her by surprise. She expected him to lower his guard. To begin searching for her while she snuck up behind him._

_But then she was jerked forward, cold snow rubbed across her face, as she squealed. Somehow she got her last snowball in his face._

_And then they were breathless. Staring at each other._

_Kiss him._

_She’d started to bend. Then shook the thought away and fled_.

 

She groaned at the memory. Squeezed her eyes shut only to throw them open a second later when his face flashed behind them.

 _What is wrong with me?_ She thought as she rose her heart weighing heavy in her chest. _What am I going to tell Myn?_

_I can’t tell Myn!_

_She has to know. Maybe she can help._

She fell backward with another groan before she bounced up and went on her search for her mate.

~~~~~~

    Her knock was answered by Myn’s distracted voice. Her heart was like a stone when Myn looked up and gave her a warm smile. She couldn’t return it. Myn’s brows drew closer together but she didn’t say anything, merely bent down to the letter she was writing.

Nar sauntered around, touching the random bits and pieces around the inn room, not looking at Myn. Trying ( _and failing_ ) to ignore the fluttering in her belly at the thought of Falk. The reason why she’d come to see Myn in the first place. “Who are you writing to?”

“Kyena.” Her answer was swift, though she didn’t look up. “She wanted to know how we were. Told her about you. How you’re doing.”

Nar nodded, mostly to herself. “Ah.” She picked at the hem of her tunic, fraying more threads on it. “Tell her that I said hello.”

Myn made an affirming noise, her quill moving swiftly over the paper.

“Myn, can I talk to you?” Nar kept her back to Myn, inspecting a speck of dust that had garnered her attention.

“Mhm.” She drew out the sound, her quill swirling around the Darnassian runes.

Nar drew a steadying breath. “How did you feel when you liked someone?”

She felt Myn jerk a little, now looking up at her. She could feel her eyes burning holes into her back. “Like I was nervous. A little flutter in my belly. Happiness when I was around the person. Why?” Her question was pointed.

“No reason. Curiosity.”

Myn caught on fairly quickly, setting down her work to give her full attention to Nar. “Nymia, what do you really want? You and I both know you’re a terrible liar.” It was not without a curt edge to it.

She stopped suddenly. “Nothing. I just wanted to talk with you.” She hoped Myn would fall for it. But the sinking feeling in her chest said otherwise.

“Nymia.”

She sighed and whirled herself around, not without a dramatic flair. “I wanted to talk to you about Falk.”

Myn sat a little straighter. Curiosity danced across her face. “What about him?”

“How did you feel when you first saw him? What did you think?”

“Comfort.” She whispered absentmindedly, her eyes faraway, lips barely parting around the words. Her hands touched a spot on her neck as she let her thoughts drift.

“What made you want him?” Hoping that Myn would catch her meaning. She’d never shown interest in any man and now...she couldn’t keep her mind off of him.

_What did that song mean? Why did he sing it to me?_

“Are you asking me why I ended up falling in love with a man?” She couldn’t hide her smirk. “I can’t tell you. It shocked even me. I thought I only liked women for the longest time.”

"Why do you want to know?" Myn asked as she crossed the room and sat down across from her, eyes following her the entire time.

Nar circled a finger against the desk. "No reason."

"There's always a reason, Nymia." Her eyes narrowed. Nar could see the thoughts whirling in her head until it clicked with a nearly visible jerk of her body. Then she cocked her head and her mouth fell open, her eyes widening. Her lips forming those damning words slowly. "You like him."

"What?! No!" She cried, a flush creeping up her neck.

"You like him!" Myn gaped at her, get lips quickly curling into a grin. "Little Nymia...has a crush on Falk." She clucked her tongue at the now furiously blushing Nar.

“Don’t tell him!” She hissed under her breath, grasping for Myn’s hands. “ _Please_ Myn!” She couldn’t keep her panic out of her voice.

Myn stopped her joking, voice turning more serious now. “Nym, that’s for you to decide. But he should know more about you. Become his friend.”

"I'm already his friend." She grumbled unhappily as she sat back in her seat.

"Nym?"

She sighed and felt the prickle of unbidden tears. Her head bowed to hide them from Myn. “Is there something wrong with me?”

“Nymera!” Myn came around the desk and knelt before her. “There is nothing wrong with you. What could possibly be wrong with you?”

“He’s yours, Myn, not mine. I can’t have him too. I like women. That's been a fact since I was a girl."

Myn sighed and dropped her head. "Oh, Nym." Her next words were measured, her tone gentle and soft. "Sometimes we discover new things about ourselves. I did. I thought I was like you, and then I saw him. I saw what he could do. Then I saw how kind he was. How big his heart was. He might love you too."

Nar laughed ruefully. “He doesn’t love _me._ ” Suddenly there were more tears in her eyes at the prospect. Shameful tears.

“Have you asked him?” Myn’s voice was clipped, verging on exasperated.

“I think I would’ve seen if he had any interest-”

“Nymera Moonblade you are the biggest fool I’ve ever met _. I was raising children with you and you still thought I didn’t love you._ ”

Nar snapped her mouth shut, chagrined. "This is different, Myn."

"I don't really see the difference." Her eyes narrowed. "Have you seen the way he looks at you?"

She laughed, shocked. _How can he look at me any sort of way? I would've noticed by now._

_Polos edos?_

The image of his face, his eyes soft as he looked at her across the room. _Only_ looking at her.

_Maybe he does..._

"But this is different. He may like me but he doesn't want to be with me." Nar put her hands over her furiously blushing face. "Oh, Elune, I'm lost." She sighed. "I...keep seeing his face. I keep thinking about him. We find ourselves closer together, almost close enough to…"

"Kiss?"

She nodded, rubbing at her face now. "Nothing has ever come from it. He must think I'm some awkward freak."

Myn let out a laugh and shook her head. “He’s a bit oblivious. It took _me_ kissing _him_ for him to realize I liked him.”

Nar smiled at that and let her hands drop to her lap. “It's all so silly, isn’t it? We run around and around and never say a word. We never think its the right time until it's almost too late.”

Myn let out a sigh and gave Nar's chin a light squeeze. _I know that all too well._ Her eyes seemed to say.

“Can I ask you when this all started?” She rose from her crouch to lean against the desk. Her hands were gripped on the desktop behind her.

She lifted her head to look Myn in the face, tossing away her impure thoughts of her and that desk, and gave her a shrug. “Since we got here? It's hard to tell.” She chewed at her lip, thoughtful, “He sang a song today.”

Myn looked startled. “He sang?”

“A Draenic song. I don’t know what it means.” Her eyes narrowed. “Has he never sang around you?”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “A few times, but never in Draenic.” She mulled it over in her mind, obviously lost in thought. After a moment she turned towards Nar. “Are you going to talk to him?”

She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out aside from a wordless squeak. Myn must’ve taken pity on her because she slid her thumb over her cheekbone and smiled at her.

“It’s alright, Nymia.” She cupped her cheeks now. “Do it in your time. Just...let him get to know you more.”

The stone that weighed on her heart lifted. She gave Myn a hopeful smile and a nod.


	8. Oblivious

_ Pandaria, a month later... _

He'd noticed that Nar avoided him. Whenever he entered a room she found an excuse to leave with Myn huffing at her. No matter how many times he’d ask Myn about what was wrong with Nar she merely zipped her lips and shook her head. Told him that it was something that Nar had to tell him.

He’d sighed and let the matter drop. Whatever it was, Nar didn’t want to say. She’d taken jobs with the rest that took her all over Pandaria. Myn grew increasingly angry. Angry at Nar. Which led her to take out her pent up frustrations. First  _ with  _ Falk, then  _ at  _ him. He saw less and less of her as well. He kept ignoring the flares of increasing loneliness. He ate alone more often than not now. He slept by himself, though that was not out of the norm. Myn often found herself with Nar more than him. 

__ _ It gives me more sleep.  _ He’d think with his heart aching.  _ She hasn’t seen Nar in years, let them catch up. _

The strange woman would visit his dreams. Showing him the same images over and over again. The same dream. She had such a forlorn look on her face at the point before he’d wake up. Before she fled from them.

All she left him with was those last words.

_ Find the Lost Dragon...You are so close. _

The owners of the hot springs were glad for their help so they let them stay so long as they kept the saurok from their passes and their customers happy. There was one place that he hadn’t been yet: the hot springs themselves. They were always full of the other guests when he had a free moment and he didn’t want to displace anyone when he climbed it.

There was finally a day that the springs were empty. He seized the opportunity to make his way to the furthest one and sink into it, his towel discarded nearby. He sighed as he slid into the refreshing warmth. A nice way to relax a little after the whirlwind of the past few months.

This day was gray and heavy. The clouds drifted further from the sky to blanket the springs in wisps and shadows. Everyone was inside on these days. The only reason the outdoor ones were always so full was the spectacular view of the mountains on clear days. He stared around at the fog and let his hands trail in it, sighing at the melancholy that seemed to be permeating the pools.

A flash of movement made his eyes shoot open. He turned his head slightly to see Nar making their way over to his pool. He felt himself smirk but leaned his head against the lip of the side and closed his eyes, letting his body float a bit in the warmth of the water. Waves lapped at his skin as she slid into the pool, sighing at the temperature. She kept to her own side.

Silence, aside from the wind. His eyes slid closed again.

“Hey.” Her voice cracked as she spoke. He let his eyes slit open. She was huddled on the opposite side, her chin resting on her knees, arms wrapped around them.  The ends of her hair was drifting in the water, hugging to her like a cloak. When she looked down it fell forward and nearly hid her from him. Her eyes found a spot on her kneecap that was more interesting than him.

Falk smiled. It hardly lifted the corners of his mouth. “You haven’t spoken to me in a month and that’s the first thing you say?” He feigned hurt. Watched the clouds that drifted all around them. Like wisps. At the glittering expanse of the mountains around them. 

_ What a beautiful sight... _

_ You didn’t think that five minutes ago, Falkhen... _

“I’m sorry.” She stuttered over the words, chewing on her lip.

“Can you tell me why?”

He heard her sigh and she slumped into the water, her nose above it. Her breath left ripples as she exhaled. Her hair swirled around her like dark purple ink.

“Alright.” He sank down as well. Their eyes met.

She shot up, the thick band around her chest dripping with water as she did so, and jumped from the pool. She wrapped her towel around her tightly, clutching it around her body so tightly it turned her fingers white. Her back was to him. She was almost frozen in place. Having a debating within her mind. She turned back around, slowly, deliberately.

"What was that song?" Nar asked, keeping her gaze off of him.

"An old song. My parents used to sing it. All I can remember is the last two stanzas."

"What is it about?" She drifted through the steam and wispy clouds to sit beside him, her feet dangling into the water. She watched as they made trails in the water, sending ripples to break against Falk.

"It’s a love song. Something about soulmates and their trials together. They went through a lot. Both apart and together." He chuckled and shook his head, lost in thought. He could almost hear the whispers of his mother singing it. All that filled his mind was the shifting image of his mother as it faded into the woman from his dreams once more.

He shook his head. Blinked up at Nar. “Falkhen? You were just about asleep; are you alright?” Concern was all across her face. Her hand lingered on his shoulder. Light but warm. Reassuring. He stared at it for a second before she lifted it off with a flush that crept up her neck. “Sorry.” She whispered.

He sat more upright and lifted himself from the water, sitting beside her now. Their hands nearly brushed together before Nar jerked her hands onto her lap. She picked at her nails, studying them before she spoke again. "What is it in Common? The song."

He pondered it for a moment. " _ Who are you? You who has my heart. You are the light, my dear friend. Your desire is my desire. _ "

Her eyes flicked up to him. They were closer now.

"The second part?" She cocked her head to the side, both trying to keep her eyes on him and not make eye contact. She settled for watching her feet drift through the water absentmindedly.

" _ We are alike, we are different. In the Light, we are one. You who has my heart. _ "

Her eyes roamed over his face, lingered there. She cleared her throat and leaned a fraction away. "It's a pretty song."

He nodded and dropped his eyes back to the water. He let his hoof drift through it, watching the ripples spread across the pool.

"Falkhen" She said suddenly.

He jerked his head up towards her. She was close again.

"How does the story end?"

"Of the couple?" He sighed as he tried to remember. "I think they ended up staying together."

Nar nodded slowly. Her lips parted as she leaned in. “There’s something I want to tell you-”

“Nar?” Myn’s voice echoed through the hot springs.

They jerked apart. Fear was all over Nar’s face as she froze. She quickly wiped it away when Myn made her full appearance, looking between Nar and Falk with a stony mask on her face. She glared at Nar. It was almost a pointed look. “Nar. Come talk to me.”

“Myn-”

“ _ Now. _ ”

Nar let out a long sigh and rubbed at her face with her hands. “Goddess, she’s going to kill me.” She muttered under her breath, but loud enough for Falk to hear.   
He just blinked up at her, not understanding.

_ “Oh oblivious Falk.” The dream woman crooned. “Find the Lost Dragon…” _

__ He shook his head once more, blinking at Nar’s outstretched hand. How long had she had her hand stuck out her hand to help him up?

A glimmer caught his eye. “What is that?” He couldn’t keep the concern out of his voice. He gathered up her right hand in both of his and traced the edges of the mark. It felt no different than the skin around it, rough and calloused as it was, but on her palm appeared to be scaled over like a lizard’s skin.

Her face dropped as her eyes drifted to her hand. She jerked it from his hand and clutched it to her chest. “An...old burn.” The words tumbled from her, though they were tense. She wheeled around and nearly jogged away from him, leaving him gaping after her, wondering what had happened.

~~~~~~

Myn shouldered open her door. Nar had followed angrily along, huffing the whole way. She sighed when Myn held the door open and stalked inside, throwing herself down at the empty chair across from Myn’s desk. Myn followed after her and let the door swing closed, sauntering over to the letters she had strewn about the surface. She pawed through them for a moment before she found the one she was looking for. It was hastily written. Simple. A few lines really.

Lines that had sent ripples of fear through Myn’s gut when she’d read it. Fear and hope.

She tossed it towards Nym and crossed her arms over her chest, leaning back against the wall.

Nym’s eyes scanned over the page quickly. Grew wide as she finished it. “Landrelia’s still alive?” She met Myn’s eyes over the edge of the page, through her lashes. Her eyes shone with hope.

Myn could only nod. “The woman sent her a letter, via Tyrande. Said that she couldn’t come in person, not yet, but she’d come to her when Kyena needs her.”

“Valliona Lark? She’s playing with fire.” Nym remarked, tossing the letter back onto the desk before leaning back against her seat. “Pulling the dragon’s tail and all that.”

“Kyena’s worried about us out here. She wants us to come back to Elunheim.”

Nym’s shoulders dropped. “We can’t leave. We still have too much to do. Plus, the Horde is beginning to gear up here.”

“They’re starting to cut and burn Ashenvale, Nym. Kyena needs us there too. She worries about the Horde. More importantly Garrosh Hellscream’s Horde.” She grew thoughtful.  _ This human worries me more. _ “Maybe we can find this Valliona and see what she knows.”

“You want to  _ arrest  _ her?” Nym’s look was pointed.

“It's what we should have done with all the other informants during Lan’s first absence.”

“You don’t believe her.” Her expression grew angry.

“I do. No way she’d know those words otherwise. Only ones who know are Kaldorei and they don’t look at the old ways too fondly. But the Moonblades do.  _ Nei wedern aranal dormil.” _

“We will rise above.” Nym smiled at that. “Tor’landa’s words.”

“Fitting for a dragon.” Myn deadpanned, moving to sit down with a sigh. “When are you going to tell him, Nym?” 

Nym shrugged. It sent a whip of anger through Myn’s chest. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest, staring out the window at the expanse of mountains.

“I was about to before you took me away.” She quipped.

Myn jerked her head back and just shook her head for a moment, disbelieving. Then they both started to laugh. It was a moment before Myn could collect herself. “I’m sorry. Maybe you’ll get another chance. And hopefully soon. I can’t shake this bad feeling-” Her gaze found the distant mountains once more.  _ Something is coming. Something soon. _

“Oh come off it Myn, you  _ always  _ have a bad feeling. Are you sure you’re not Kyena’s niece instead of me?”

Myn’s jaw tightened and she rolled her head over to give Nym a scathing look.

Nym sighed. “I’m sorry.” It was quick and clipped.

Myn dropped her arms. “I’m sorry too.” She ignored Nym’s gaze, keeping it fixed on her many letters strewn across her desk. “I shouldn’t push you. I just want you to be happy. Both of you.” She picked up her quill and a clean sheet of paper and bent to start a response to Kyena’s letter. “Maybe tell him the story about the scars the Moonblades bear.” It was offhanded enough, her mind focused more on writing.

There was silence for a beat. “Have you told him about  _ your _ scar?” Her voice was accusatory.

The quill snapped in Myn’s hands. She dropped it and blinked at the mangled feather.

" _ You _ need to."

"I know." She tossed aside the quill. "I don't want to drag him into all of that. Kazoch and all." She waved her hands around.

"He already has a target on his back, Myn, he's with  _ us _ ." With that, Nym rose and left Myn to her letters.

~~~~~~

_ “Myn’ra.” The voice was insistent. _

__ _ Her eyes opened. She saw a face so similar to Nymera’s that she jerked upright. The woman gave her a small smile, her face quickly twisting to pain. “I know. I’m Taryanda-” _

__ _ “Tar-” _

__ _ She clamped a hand over Myn’s mouth. “Yes,  _ **_yes_ ** _. Taryanda. Curse the name. You have more important things to deal with.” _

_ She rolled her eyes. “Such as?” _

_ “The Legion’s return. And the old friend that entails. Valliona may have pushed him back to the Nether but he’ll be back. Already he’s sending people-” _

_ Another joined, shoving Taryanda aside. "Ocean child, there is danger lurking.” She paused, watching time stretch above them, eyes glassy as she focused on one place in particular. She almost disappeared into it. Against the myriad of colors and shifting sands all around them. It was almost dizzying to look at. Too topsy turvy. “A lance of stars. Mad eyes dancing with green fire. Someone will steal the dragon from its nest.” _

_ Her eyes flicked to Tary. “Does she always speak in vague prophecy?” _

_ Tary gave her an exasperated sigh and a shrug. “Don’t ask me. She tries not to meddle in time so much anymore.” _

_ “Anymore?-” _

_ “Myn’ra, Ocean Child, there is no more time. I’m sorry that I cannot tell you what you need to know but I have to keep it to vagueness. Things will go wrong otherwise. I have seen as much.” She eyed Myn more closely. “They are growing closer, you know.” _

_ “Nym and Falkhen?” When Myn turned to try and find Tary she’d disappeared. _

_ The stranger nodded. Looking back to the place she’d nearly lost herself in. “Are you okay with that?” _

_ Myn looked towards the same spot and saw nothing. Nothing but shimmering sand.  _ Am I?

_ “I…” She let out a sigh. “I want Nym to be happy. I know he is a good man. For both of us.” She blinked, lost in thought. “Am I selfish to want her to love him so he can stay? So  _ I _ don’t have to give him up?” _

_ The stranger smiled. “There will be one final test for all three of you. Keep faith, selfish one.” The smile turned impish, “He may surprise all of you.” _

_ Myn’ra sighed. “I have the strangest dreams.” _

_ Again, the strange woman smiled and wrapped her hands around Myn’s. “Who said this was a dream?”  _

_ With that, she shoved Myn backwards into the abyss. _

_ ~~~~~~ _

Myn awoke with a start, eyes dancing around the room. Sweat plastered her hair to her neck.

On her hands was a dusting of copper sand.


	9. Monastery

_ The same image from his earlier dream unfolded before him. A dragon, monstrous and large, flew overhead. The shimmering scales coloring the world all red as it spread its wings from shore to shore. Soon enough, a smaller dragon, smaller than any of them, streamed past him and whirled around the rise he was standing on once before it joined the leviathan. They danced their dance until- _

_ The image shifted. He stood in a cavernous hall, chilled to the bone, the faint smell of the sea drifting to him. He looked up and saw a green-tinted sky through the shattered stone. Dragons flew overhead. A large one, colored red, followed by four others. A green and bronze flew close behind, followed by a smaller blue. His eyes drifted down to the room when they disappeared from view. To a stone brazier and the red hot coals that drifted with smoke. He strode closer, slowly, as the ash rained down from the beating of the dragon’s wings high above him. They all seemed to be waiting, circling. Calling to one another. _

_ In the center of the brazier was a solitary dragon egg. Larger than he would’ve thought for a dragon egg. It was a bright and fiery red, laced with purple and silver veins. It almost looked made out of stone. Very different from how Kyena had once described the dragon eggs. _

_ “ _ Take me instead!”

_ He jerked his head to where he heard Kyena's voice. High and tight with panic, thick with tears. He had never heard her more scared.  _

_ "Take me." Her ghostly voice whispered. He stepped closer and her shimmering image grew more and more solid. He stood over her, horrified, as she sobbed in her chains. A thick iron collar chained her to a point that disappeared beyond the edges of the vision.  _

_ She jerked up to look him in the eye. Anger and hate flashed there until it melted into confusion. She seemed to drop her tension as she beheld him too. Almost breathe a sigh of relief. _

_ “Falkhen?” _

_ She faded away right before his eyes. _

_ “Time is a tricky thing, Falkhen.” The dream woman came walking from the opposite side of the cavernous hall. She glowed golden and bronze, the seemingly liquid bronze of her dress rippling around her in waves as she closed their distance. Past the shattered throne. Under the broken ceiling. Not caring about the dragons that flew above them. Nor the surge in little visions Falkhen saw around her. “Many of us think we have more time than we do.” _

_ “Am I going to die soon?” _

_ The woman tsked and shook her head. “No Falkhen, you live for a long time. You see and do so much with your life. This is merely the beginning of it all.” _

_ She flashed to his side in a blink and placed her hand gently on his elbow. “Wake the dragon from stone.” She compelled him forward until they both stood just before the egg. _

_ “Show them that they do not need to be afraid.” _

_ He gave the stone egg a tap with his knuckle.  _

_ It pulsed. Wriggled. Lighting up from within at his touch, he could see the faint outline of a woman. One that quickly faded when he jumped back from it. _

_ He blinked, reaching out once more, and laid a hand gently upon the egg. The light was steadier now, revealing more and more of the woman. The long purple hair that wrapped its way around her body. She appeared to be sleeping, though it was not a peaceful slumber, cramped into this stony shell of a dragon’s egg. She looked so familiar and yet so strange. Her face was out of focus. Blurred. _

_ “Wake the dragon from stone! Danger is near!” _

_ He jerked his head away from the egg and saw the shapes moving ever closer. Mad green eyes, flashing silver before turning back to green. A lance of stars, shimmering and shifting in the light. The dragons above cried out, starting to drift down towards the enemies. Wolves appeared around him. Snakes. The towering Draenei vigilants. The dragons landed on the shattered roof and glared down at the attackers. A lion prowled, flanked by two sabers with green fur. The wolf-woman led her own pack of wolves, all wrapped with roses. _

_“Wake them!”_ _  
__“I don’t know how!” He cried, reaching for a weapon that was not there. The enemies stalked ever closer. Horrid twisted images of draenei burning with felfire. A monstrous bronze-black dragon with scales that seemed patchy and mottled like a cow, abstract blobs of either color fighting for dominance on its hardened scales. A warrior armored all in black with a ghost following her every move with hatred in her eyes and pine green hair streaming out behind her._

“Wake them!”

_ He turned back towards the egg. Placed both hands on it gently and let out a sigh.  _ Whoever you are; please wake up.  _ He let his eyes fall closed. The footsteps of their pursuers drew ever closer. He could hear the singing of metal as a sword was drawn. The pounding of a hand against the door. _

_ The egg shook so violently that Falk’s eyes flew open. He watched it crack, the lines following the veins of silver and purple on the surface. _

~~~~~~

He awoke with a start and rubbed at his face.  _ What is wrong with my dreams? _

A louder thud at his door drew him from his thoughts. It made it easier to put the dream aside as if it never happened. It faded further as he strode across the room and jerked open the door, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He blinked a few times to clear his vision and was greeted with the sight of Nar smiling up at him. “Good morning Nar.” He mumbled, voice still thick with sleep.

“Uh, Falk?!” Her voice was tremulous as she shoved her hands over her eyes.

“Shit!” He whipped his cloak from the peg near the door and drew it around him. “Sorry. I...forgot.”

She stifled a snicker. “Yeah. It's alright. I just need to bleach my eyes.”

“ _ Bleach?  _ Am I that displeasing to look at?” He feigned hurt and turned dramatically, leaving the door open for Nar to come in. He pawed through his latest washing for clean pants and underclothes, letting his cloak become a shield for poor Nar’s eyes.

He barely heard her whisper as she entered the room and closed the door with a soft click.  _ No _ . He thought he heard. Falk cleared his throat and slipped on his pants. “Uh, what did you come here for?” He finished the laces and let the cloak fall from his shoulders in a pool around his hooves, turning as he finished the knot on them.

Her smile fell as he turned. Her eyes flicked all over him. She chewed on her bottom lip before she regained her smile, cocking her head slightly. “I’m starving. Want to get some breakfast with me?”

He gave her his own smile. “Sure. Let me look presentable.” He called over his shoulder as he turned to grab up a hopefully clean shirt and scrubbed at his face at the washbasin. He looked into the mirror above it and sighed. He didn’t look necessarily sleepless, though his beard grew in thicker and thicker, giving him a more rugged look than he was used to seeing on his own face. His hair was long, unbraided, falling past his shoulders in golden waves.  _ When was the last time I shaved or cut my hair? _

“Falk?” Nar’s face appeared behind him in the mirror. Concern had swept across her face.

He shook his head and gave her a smile. “I’m fine. Just woke up.” He chuckled.

Nar didn’t look too convinced but gave him a nod. “Are you ready?”

He toweled off his face and smoothed out a wrinkle on his shirt before grabbing his cloak from the floor. He stopped short, cocking his head at Nar. “Can I ask you to do something silly?”

She picked at the skin around her nails. “What is it?”

“Will you, ah, braid my hair for me?” It was half a chuckle, half shy. He couldn’t meet her eyes.

She broke into a smile. “Sit.” She gestured to a low stool as she grabbed up a comb on the washbasin. Her fingers worked quickly through the knots, though she didn’t rip them out. She worked her way upwards, quick and efficient, until it was freed of every knot that appeared overnight. She slipped the comb into her pocket and began her braiding. Simple. Starting from just behind his crest and horns to hanging freely to his mid-back, a shimmering golden braid slipped from her hands slowly as she tied it off.

“There you go.” She whispered as she backed away a step.

He ran his hands down the length of the free-hanging braid and let it fall over his shoulder. He probably could’ve wrapped it around his neck and still had some to spare. “Thanks.” His voice cracked ever so slightly over the word. He cleared his throat and rose, tossing the cloak over his shoulders and settling into it, making sure it was tightened before he held the door open for Nar.

“You’re welcome.” She gave him a smile as she walked past him, angling her head so she could look him in the eye as she did so. Something flashed across those dark silver eyes. A longing. One that sent a flush up to her cheekbones.

He resisted the urge to trace his thumb over them. To cup her face in his hands and to stop being-

The moment slipped away. He’d stared at her for too long. “Falkhen?”

“Lead the way.” He said gruffly, dropping his eyes from hers. He fell into step behind her. He felt his lips twitch into a smile when she hung back a step and fell in time with him, stretching her legs as far as she could to keep up with him.

~~~~~~

_ You have to tell him sometime. _ Myn’s voice echoed in her mind. She’d tried avoiding him. Tried not to hear the haunting melody of the song in her dreams.

Sometimes, fleetingly, she wished her mother would come back. Just for a little while. Just so she could talk. Fall apart for a little while. Cry over a man that wasn’t hers and would never be. Who probably thought she was the biggest freak on Azeroth. But then she remembered what she had said. The hurt that flashed across her mother’s face.

And the sickening satisfaction that flared through her heart upon seeing it. A feeling that was quickly replaced by hot shame. The years of silence in her dreams.

_ I told my mother to leave me alone and Falk can never see his again. Myn’s mother is gone too. Her father. His. I don’t even know where mine is. If Fanarol’s even still out there. _

“Nar!” Myn called. Nar’s eyes fell closed as she turned around and was greeting with Myn jogging to catch up to her.

“Myn.” Nar’s voice was gravelly. She sighed and let her shoulders drop.  _ Of course. There’s always a distraction. _

Falk sidled up behind Nar, though she knew he was there. Even after the last awkward moment, Nar had wanted to get something to eat, perhaps to talk about what was weighing on her chest. It had been a few days, nearly a week, and she had finally come out of her hiding. She knew she couldn’t hide from it any longer. She had to face her feelings instead of locking them away.

Her mind sang at his nearness.  _ I hoped I’d be over this by now.  _ She seemed warmer the closer he got to her. She nearly shook with the effort to keep herself from turning around so she could look at him. The moment he opened his door kept replaying in her mind. His sleepy face, still rubbing the remains of sleep from his eyes with the back of his hands, with a little flush on his cheeks. The slow blink and lopsided smile as she registered with his mind. The gruff greetings that made her melt.

The fact he slept with nothing on.

She drew closer. Nar couldn’t help herself from gasping.

Myn looked between the two of them. “I’m glad I found you both. Something is coming. I feel it-” Her eyes were wild, ringed with black circles underneath them. She seemed to sway on her feet. Blinking hard against her drooping eyes, shaking to clear her head.

“Myn!?” Nar cried, her fingers twisting together, mouth dropped open. Myn stopped short before them both and looked between them, almost like a cornered deer. She looked almost frightened. Like she’d bolt at any moment.

Falk stepped forward lightly, gently. His hands cupped Myn’s face. His expression turned to concern. “Have you been sleeping?” His voice was low. Calm. Deliberate. Like he held a bomb in his hands.

“Yeah, Myn, you look like hell.” Nar supplied, her eyes growing softer as she drew close to Myn. Her hand stretched out towards Myn’s shoulder.

Myn’s eyes grew hard. She slid slightly out of Falk’s hands. “I’ve been sleeping fine.” It was a hiss. Her teeth clicking together as she snapped her mouth shut, lips turning into a tight grimace.

“Are you sure, Myn? You look like you haven’t slept a wink.” Falk’s hands fell to his sides, though he still had that same sad look full of concern.

“ _ I said I’m fine!” _ She snapped. Stormwolf looked up from the distant stables, massive hear peering out the opened door at them before flopping back down, eyes fixated on all of them.

The air on top of the mountain seemed to crackle. It grew darker as clouds drifted in. Towering walls of clouds black as night. Lightning arced through them, never touching the ground.

As quickly as it came it was gone. The sky brightened, reflecting off the snow, making them all squint against it.

Myn was staring up at the sky, her mouth hung open. “I had a dream, Nar, about  _ Taryanda. _ ”

Nar froze. Then anger melted her passing shock. “Taryanda?” It was a hiss as her jaw clenched.

“She gave us a warning. Something is coming for us.” Myn’s voice had gotten quiet as she met Nar’s eyes. “She wanted-”

“I don’t  _ care  _ what she wanted. Why did she warn you and not me?”

Myn gave Nar a knowing look.

_ You know why. _

Falk bounced his eyes between the both of them. “I don’t mean to ruin this dramatic moment but, uhhhhh, what the  _ fuck _ is going on?”

Myn gave Nar a hard look and set her features into a determined scowl. “There’s something you should know about us. About Nar and Kyena and everyone else we know.”

“Myn!” Nar couldn’t keep the panic from her voice. Her hand reached out and gripped Myn’s hand like a vice.

“If you won’t tell, I  _ will, _ ” She tore her hand from Nar’s clutch and turned back to Falk, “There is a-”

Nar clapped her hand over Myn’s mouth and gripped her waist tightly to her body. “She obviously hasn’t been sleeping. I’ll get her to bed and we can talk about this later.” Nar gave her a pointed look and started to lead her to their rooms.

“Fuck  _ both _ of you!” She cried, whirling out of Nar’s grasp and backing away. “I’m not crazy!”

~~~~~~

Falk stared after Myn as she took off to the stables and hopped on Stormwolf. Cries went up as the wolf barreled around the resort before heading down the path to open land.

He was left with a hollow feeling. Almost in a daze, he turned his head toward Nar and arched his brow. “Who...what?”

Pain was all across Nar’s face. He fought the urge to pull her to him. “It's a long story.” She said in a tight voice as she stared equally dazed at the path Myn had taken. “And there are parts that she needs to tell you.”

“Let’s get something to eat and maybe you can tell me about it.”

She tensed but didn’t turn. Instead, she nodded and led the way into the dining hall.

Luckily it wasn’t crowded and there were plenty of secluded tables for them to talk. They gathered up the start of their meal and settled in to eat. Pandaren fare soon began to make its way to the table and the staff made sure to keep it flowing. Both shoveled food ravenously as soon as the staff could bring the plates. Nar easily kept pace with Falk until they started to slow. Then they talked about a few other pleasantries, Nar obviously trying to avoid the topic. But she could avoid it no longer and let out a long sigh, shoving the plate towards the middle of the table and sitting back.

“There is a demon that has plagued the Moonblades for thousands of years. Since the War of the Ancients, maybe earlier.” Nar began. Her finger traced the rim of her teacup absentmindedly. She had a faraway look in her eyes, a sort of sadness tinged with longing.

Falk narrowed his eyes as he picked at a freshly baked roll. “I thought you were a Bladesong.”

Nar shifted in her seat and dodged his eyes. “It affects a lot of different families. Moonblades. Silverblades. Seawhispers. Stormbows. A few others. Some are gone now. Others...just somewhere else.”

She swallowed thickly and cleared her throat. “Kyena had a sister. Landrelia Moonblade. Well,” She paused and grimaced, “She’s actually her second cousin. The founders of the Moonblades were twins. Tor’landa and Lan’reli Moonblade.”

“What happened to them?”

Nar met his eyes now. “They died. Them and their mates.”

He dropped his eyes to follow his finger around the scratches in the tabletop. “But they had children, obviously.”

“Tor’landa and Cymaldor had a daughter, Ay’hrae Moonblade. Ay’hrae is Kyena’s mother,” She ground her teeth together so loudly he could hear them squeak against each other, “And the mother of Kyena’s elder sister, Taryanda.”

“What happened to Taryanda?” His voice was soft. Hardly louder than a whisper. The world had fallen away. He no longer heard the din from the kitchens nor the Pandaren shouting to each other. The murmur of voices had died away until it left just him and Nar sitting at a solitary table.

Nar stiffened. “I don’t know. She disappeared.” Her voice was oddly tight. Just as stiff as her body.

“Are you alright?” He began to reach out for her hand.

She jerked away and set her hands in her lap. “I’ll be fine. Old memories.”

He nodded and motioned for her to continue.

“Lan’reli mothered Nilan Moonblade. He, in turn, fathered three children. Nalian, Leth'melor, and Landrelia. Nalian and Leth’melor are dead by now. That or some twisted version of themselves. Ever devoted sons of Nilan.”

She huffed and shook her head. “The demon visited Landrelia several times during the War of the Ancients. Five thousand years later, it came and took her. She had a daughter with Fanarol Silverblade, Taylande, and disappeared. No one has seen her since. Taylande...is in the wind.”

“So this demon is after you too?”

“Who knows. I haven’t been bothered by anything like that in a long time. It only wants to find Taylande now that Landrelia’s dead. Its been trying since Taylande was born. A thousand years it's been trying to get Taylande to his side.”

Falk felt a flutter of fear slice through his belly. “What if Myn was right?” He whispered.

“What do you mean?”

“What if something  _ is _ after you now? What if it’s trying to find this Taylande and you too? Or what if one leads to another?”

Nar grew thoughtful. “As awful a person Taylande can be, she at least has some family loyalty. She’d never harm one of us,” She let out a soft laugh, “I mean, she might be off-putting and a little stubborn but she’d never actually  _ hurt _ any of us. Could you imagine?” She said the last more to herself than to Falk. Her smile drifted until it faded into a concerned frown.

“Nar…”

“Oh please. Now you sound like Myn.” She leaned forward and rested her elbows on the table, looking him in the eye. “No one is coming after me. I’m safe here. I’d sooner believe Landrelia’s somehow come back to life than them coming here.”

When he didn’t seem mollified, Nar slid her hand over his and gave it a light squeeze. “Falk, I’ll be fine. I have Myn and I have  _ you _ . I think I’ll be okay.”

Falk let out a snort. “The way you fight...I think that demon’s in for a rude awakening if it tries to take you.”

Nar blushed at the compliment but didn’t withdraw her hand.

Falk didn’t say anything.

Nar grew more serious. “Falkhen, there’s something else too-”

A noise drew both of their attention to the dining hall entrance. Soon enough, Cyristalen and a few of her soldiers came striding towards them with a nod to each. “Taylnar. Falkhen. Come with me, I have a mission for you.”

Both sighed and rose, Nar leading the way after Cyri. When they reached her rooms she motioned for them to take a seat across from her desk. When they did so she let out a sigh and gave them both a warm smile. “Its good to see you both again. It feels like its been a long since we’ve talked to each other.” The echoes of her Gilnean accent still clung to her speech.

“It’s good to see you too, Cyri.” Nar supplied her own smile.

She nodded and set her forearms on the desktop, folding her hands together. “I suppose I should cut the bullshit. You’re being sent to the Kun-Lai Monastery. The villagers have a delivery to make and the saurok have been thick up the main pass. Thicker since everyone and their cousin is training with the monks recently. You and Nar will go.” Cyri gave them both a nod.

They rose in unison and made their way to the door when Cyri’s voice echoed after them.

“Along with Myn’ra.”

~~~~~~

Myn and Stormwolf were waiting in the yard when they both finished packing up a change of clothes and gathering supplies. Pandaren bustled around them, making sure they would be warm when they rode through some of the mountain passes. Falk thought they’d look like nothing more than shapeless masses of fabric before they got out. He was glad for the cloak that the dragons had given him in Northrend. A few layers plus that and his armor and he was still comfortable toasty as he loaded up the yaks.

Falk was surprised at just how much a yak could carry. He’d have thought the poor beast would buckle under all of the weight. But they brought of the one he was to ride and told him that he couldn’t weigh any more than an extra-large Pandaren, which a yak could carry with ease. He hauled himself up into the saddle and saw Nar approach Myn.

Both Myn and Stormwolf were icy. Though Myn seemed to fade as she swayed atop Stormwolf’s broad back. No doubt she’d be asleep half the ride there. Given the current situation, it probably wouldn’t be a bad idea. She needed sleep. Nar deflated at Myn’s words, Falk too far away to hear, and they parted. Even Stormwolf looked a little angry with the two of them, giving them each a soul burning stare.

“Um, excuse me sir, but where is my yak?”

“These are the only ones we could spare, my lady. You’ll have to ride with the Draenei.”

She turned slowly to Falk with her mouth hung open. A flush had come across her cheeks. It didn’t fade as she ignored Falk’s open arms and jumped up behind him.

They set off, Falk and Nar bringing up the rear, Myn’ra leading the supply laden yak up the twisting paths to the distant Kun-Lai monastery.

Three hours in, Nar was clinging to Falk’s back like a pack. Shivering as hid from the blowing winds and the sheer drops. The yak was surefooted enough as he plugged along behind his companion but just the thought of the drop that awaited all of them if he made one wrong step had Falk clinging tighter to the animal too.

“Nar, why don’t you slip in front of me?” He chattered as he slipped his cloak from his shoulders and into the cold air. As far as he knew Nar wasn’t gifted anything from the dragons, evidenced by her own chattering behind him.

"I'm fine."

"Nar, I think you've dug your fingernails into me long enough. I can feel them through the layers."

Begrudgingly, Nar slipped in front of him, hemmed in by his arms as he held onto the horn of the saddle. The yak knew where to go.

She let out a sigh when Falk wrapped his cloak back around himself, cocooning her as well. Notably, she tried to keep a bit of distance between herself and Falk to no avail by sitting sideways, her hip grinding into his thigh.

"It's warmer closer to me." It was offhanded enough.

She gave him a half-hearted glare and resolved her fate. She twisted further in the saddle so her back was against him, her legs on either side of the yak.

“Better?” He asked as he settled the cloak around them once more.

She leaned her head back against his shoulder and let her eyes drift closed. “Better.”

~~~~~~

They had an audience when they came lumbering into the training yard as the sun sank lower into the horizon. Students came to help them unpack the yak as Nar and Falk worked out the knots from riding so cramped against the cold.

Myn cast them both a hard glare and stalked off with Stormwolf by her side, disappearing on the opposite end of the monastery.

“Falkhen!” A familiar voice echoed throughout the training grounds.

He turned to see a woman, tall and muscled as an elekk, come running towards him. Dressed in black and blue gear with designs of a tiger. Her dark hair streamed out behind her in its usual unruly way. The grand sweep of her horns were almost lost under the loose curls. Her wide grin, showing off the gap in her teeth, scrunched up her nose.

“Belishaa!” He couldn’t keep the happiness from his voice, running to meet her halfway.

They crashed their crests together, the sound echoing off the open court of the monastery, making the other students turn and look towards them.

They both reeled back and laughed, Falk cupping her neck and smiling down at her. She may be tall, but he was still taller. “Belishaa, how have you been?” He said as they touched their foreheads, closing their eyes as they did so and sharing a breath together.

“Fighting. Training.” She smacked his arm and gave him a wry smile. “What in Light’s name are you doing on Pandaria. Last I heard you were shacking up with a scary wolf riding night elf in Winterspring.”

Falk cast a glance to Nar and shrugged. “I was, but I don’t think she much likes me anymore.”

Belishaa sighed and gave him a smirk. “Knowing you, ladykiller, it’s warranted.”

“Hey!” He said with a laugh, one that Belishaa quickly joined in on.  _ Always a ballbuster. _ He turned back to Nar and pushed her forward. “Belishaa, this is Taylnar Bladesong. Taylnar, this is my old friend Belishaa. She’s got one hell of a punch.”

Belishaa rolled her eyes and stuck out her hand for Nar to shake. Discomfort was all across Nar’s face and in her jerky movements to return Belishaa’s handshake. “Don’t listen to him, Taylnar, he’s an idiot. Though he’s right about one thing. Two people in this universe can beat him in a fight: myself and his terror of a sister.”

He crossed his arms over his chest and pouted.

“But he’s  _ my  _ idiot.” She crooned, leaning her head on his shoulder and fluttering her eyelashes at him.

“ _ Great _ .” Nar hissed under her breath. She didn’t return Belishaa’s smile.

Belishaa’s smile fell slightly as she turned back to presumably find a way out of the conversation. Instead, she found another student, garbed similarly to her, and pulled the Kaldorei forward. “Meet  _ my  _ friend.” Bubbly as ever. The mask was back on.

The woman gave Belishaa a withering look and extended her hand out to Falk. “Lehoanna Sorrowgale.” She tossed her moss green braid over her shoulder. Falk thought she looked almost feral with her cat-like features. Sharp angles and even sharper eyes. Anger seemed to wash off her in waves. Something had hurt her and it hadn’t quite healed. He felt the same things before. Seen them on other Draenei too.

Belishaa looked over her shoulder. “Dari! Come here! There’s someone I want you to meet!”

A tall blood elf skipped her way over with a theatrical bow to Falk. She moved with almost ethereal grace. “Zarisadari Sunspire, at your service.” She was shorter than her two friends by a good deal, though taller than a human male. Her skin was dark, along with her mass of curls that framed her long face. Her green eyes glittered with mirth as she smiled at the two of them.

Belishaa placed her hand on Falk’s arm. “This is my old friend, Falkhen. And this is Taylnar Bladesong.”

“Pleasure to meet you both.” She gave them both a dazzling smile.

“You’ve gotten so many new friends, Shaa. Have you talked to your sister?” He gave her a pointed look.

Her eyes danced away from his gaze. “It’s a long story Falk, let me tell you over some dinner, you two must be starving!”

Belishaa grabbed his arm and led him off. When Falk turned back to mouth his apologies to Nar he was greeted with the most hurt look he had ever seen on her face.

Hurt and rage.


	10. Compromise

_ How could I be so stupid!? _

A knock at her door stopped her pacing. She opened it and fought the urge to slam it shut. Pure rage boiled up at the sight of Belishaa’s perfectly beautiful face with her perfectly imperfect smile. It only made her more endearing. “Hello, Taylnar. Falk wanted to know if you wanted to spar with us. He said he wanted to see my skills against someone fast.”

Nar forced a smile and gave her a tight nod. Her whole body seemed to burn. She couldn’t keep herself from shaking either.  _ Maybe smacking someone around will help. _ She thought with a touch of venom, her smile growing more genuine when the thought of putting Falk on the ground, along with  _ Belishaa _ , came into her mind’s eye.

“Of course. I need to work some of this rest off. I could feel myself getting rusty.”

Belishaa let out a tinkling laugh. “They have us meditating half the day here. The first few weeks I didn’t think we’d get anywhere. Now...I can see why we did that portion of the training.” She pulled her sleeves up and showed a latticework of scars that were on both forearms. “Xuen taught me some humility.”

Nar winced at them. “He did that?”

Belishaa nodded. “Xuen admired my strength and determination to learn. But I have a bad habit of needing to prove myself.” She pulled her sleeves back down. “I learned my lesson after that and mediated more.”

Her anger died down to a smoldering ember now. “How did that happen?”

“Xuen wanted me to prove that I was strong enough to learn the advanced techniques I kept whining about. So he let me. I had bouts day in and day out. Fighting against armed opponents with nothing but my wits and fists. You name it, he made me do it. I finally gave in and realized I was getting nothing but bruises and cuts.”

Nar shut the door behind her and followed after Belishaa in silence. She couldn’t find the words, sympathetic or curious, to keep the conversation going. After a few minutes, she set her teeth and tried to be amiable. “So, can you tell me about yourself?”

Belishaa cleared her throat and gave a toss of her hair. “It’s not all that exciting. Typical sad story. Mother and father dead. All that’s left is my sister Aluuni. Plus Falk and Ishe. I’ve known the twins all my life. I practically grew up alongside him and Ishetii on the Genedar before we came to Draenor.” She cocked her head and blinked down at Nar. “You know his sister?”

“I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting his family,” She paused for a moment and smirked, “Yet.” It was scathing.

Or rather, she hoped it was.

Belishaa let out another tinkling laugh and shook her head, curls bouncing around her head. It made Nar give her a more thorough inspection.

She was beautiful. A strong jaw, square face. It was all angles and sharp lines with the barest feminine softness. A face anyone could love. A shining crown of soft brown curls that caught the light. Tall and willowy with legs that could outdistance her in a flash.

“You know,” Belishaa began after a while. Her pace was slow, ambling. Nar didn’t have to fight to keep up with the taller woman, “I’m surprised that Falk has kept with the whole Vindicator thing so long.”

“What makes you say that?”

Belishaa snorted. “He’s not exactly the most religious of us.”

“Is that a requirement for a Vindicator?” She couldn’t keep the defensive edge from her voice. She felt like a child again, acting like this, but she couldn't stop herself.

A small smile ghosted over Belishaa’s lips. “No. But it helps. Vindicators are all about the Light and the Naaru. It comes with the territory. Ishetii, his sister, was always the more pious one.” She snorted again at that thought. “Which is not much.”

“How well do you know Falk?”

Belishaa gave her a knowing look.  "His mother loved me to pieces. Perhaps a little too much. She'd always be sending us together on this errand or that. She would train us all together. Even offered to enroll me in the Vindicator classes alongside the twins.”

Her teeth squeaked together. “From what I heard, Jiaan was a force to be reckoned with.”

She turned her head towards Nar and met her eyes. “He told you about Jiaan?”

Nar gave her a nod. “Yes.”

She smirked and face her head forward again. Nar thought the hallways looked more and more similar the longer they walked. Had they passed that painting before? “I’m surprised. Jiaan’s a sore spot for us all.” She continued when she noticed Nar’s head tilt for her to elaborate. "She was well respected. Loved by all. Everyone mourned her loss when she died protecting her people." Her tone was one of awe.

"She sounds familiar."

"Do your people have someone like that?"

Nar grimaced.  _ Kyena _ . 

_ Kyena. Kyena, where are you? I’d like to lean on you for a while. To let you carry my burdens upon your broader shoulders. _

She switched instead to a safer option. "They used to. Many years ago. Her name was Tor'landa Moonblade." It was said with the same wistful reverence as Belishaa.

"You admire her."

"We all did. She was one of the Night Warriors. Our vindicators, in a way."

She looked intrigued. New information was eagerly sought after by her kind. She’d told Falk the story of Tor’landa and her dragon over and over again like she had when they were on guard duty and he’d never grown bored. "What happened to her?"

Nar sighed. "Same sad story. She died defending her people."

Belishaa's eyes dropped. "Don't they all?"

Nar cocked her head for her to continue.

The draenei shook hers almost sadly. “Always martyring themselves for the cause. To spur others to action or to go out in a blaze of glory.” Her eyes shone as they passed by another torch. “It never helps. Just adds more grief.”

“Jiaan died getting my stubborn ass out of Shadowmoon. She had Breorhan with her, hanging off her arm, wailing. Then she just shoved her sword in my hand and told me to find Ishetii and Kaed."

"She died there. Defenseless. With her son." She bowed her head. "Long I blamed myself. For not being braver. For not taking that sword and defending her and the rest of the ones that were stolen. But where would that have gotten me?"

Nar didn’t speak. Too many thoughts whirled in her head. Her anger towards this woman was abating for the time being. It left her confused. It was easy to hate her. To think of Falk leaving and falling into her arms. They’d known each other for practically their whole lives. A bond like that was hard to shake. Someone like Nar...well, she was all too forgettable.

_ Why do you care if he forgets you, little Nym? _

“But that is beside the point. Our Falkhen is a delicate creature. His heart breaks but he’ll never show it. He’s all slivers inside that muscled chest of his.” Belishaa met Nar’s eyes and held them, finally passing out of the temple and into the brilliant blazing whiteness of the training yard. “What do you intend for him, I wonder?” She couldn’t keep the thoughtful, almost clinical, tone from her voice.

“He’s my friend. That’s all.” The defensive edge crept into her voice again, earning another smirk and a headshake from Belishaa. Her anger flared up anew and she fell into another sullen silence, the image of beating her into the dirt flashing in her mind.

~~~~~~

Nar held the staff in both hands now, growling as Belishaa  _ infuriatingly  _ danced out of reach  _ again _ .

She fell back into that stance again and Belishaa followed. They started again with their staves clacking together, Nar’s more harshly than Belishaa’s had. She saw Belishaa’s face twitch into annoyance before she wiped it away with a neutral one.

Falkhen stood to the side of the sparring arena. There were no other students around at this time, so they had the run of the arena. All the better for them. No wandering eyes to join in. He sighed and signaled them to start.

Nar set her feet and threw the staff against Belishaa’s with all the force she could muster. 

The draenei couldn’t dance out of the way now. 

She knocked the staff from Belishaa's hands and swept her off balance in a few twisting motions of her arms. She remembered the training she'd been given. Few could rival the skills of a Sentinel or the Sisterhood.

Belishaa let out a grunt when she hit the ground.

Nar flipped the staff around with some flair and pointed it at Belishaa’s head.

Belishaa let out a laugh and stretched out her hand. Nar clapped hers into it and helped haul the Draenei to her feet. "Good. Sentinel?"

"Battle-priestess."

"You must've had good teachers." She quipped as she bent to retrieve her staff from the snow.

_ Something like that. _

"Yeah. Good teachers.  _ Shan'do. _ "

" _ Shan'do, _ " She drawled out the word as if to test it. Then she grew thoughtful, her head cocked to the side. "A teacher?”

“It means ‘honored teacher’ loosely translated.” Falk supplied.

Belishaa cast him a glance that made that ember flare back into a fire in Nar’s belly. She must’ve noticed Nar’s grimace because she gave them an impish smile as she leaned on her staff. “I want to see  _ you _ two spar now.”

They cast each other a glance.

Falk gave her a nod and took Belishaa’s staff and assumed the stance.

Nar did much the same.

Their bout was a dance. An elegant dance that took them all over the arena. Their staves sang and sang again with resonant clacks.

She wanted to give Belishaa a show.

Falk wasn't giving it his all. Too many times he left himself open to the takedown. But Nar ignored it. So she showed off her skill but Falk was a match. 

An opposite to her.

He was tall and muscled as the elekks they ride but he also had a grace and speed that rivaled Nar's own now. He was deadly with that crystalline sword of his but that was much heavier than this piddly stick they'd been given. Even strike clattered Nar's bones together.

She feinted left but made her staff go right, hoping to hook him under the leg as she had before.

She was distracted. That could’ve been the only explanation for why she was now in ankle-deep snow and not Falk. How he could ignore her feint and turn it against her.

He held out his hand to her. Engulfed it as he hauled her easily to her feet.

"Let the anger go, Nar, she's practically my sister." He whispered as he kept hold of her hand. His soft words left her gaping up at him, her anger all but snuffed out.

_ Had it been that plain? _

Belishaa sighed and shook her head at the panting pair. “Good bout. Let’s get some food.”

They stretched and headed to the dining room. It was silent for a long time as Belishaa led them. Then she let out a sigh and wheeled around, walking backward as she spoke. “Falk, Nar. I just have one question.”

She paused, still walking backward, and waited for their nods and mumbles of assent. “How long have you both wanted to go at it like rabbits?”

Falk sputtered, face darkening with a furious blush. A sick feeling rose up in Nar’s belly. A twinge of fear. Ice locked her limbs but her face burned. Their walks slowed to nearly a crawl.

“Oh come on, Falkhen, I can read you like a book. And you,” She pointed at Nar, “Are just like him. So open and full of heart. Plus...have you realized the look you give him? You want him in a hundred different ways and you don’t even  _ see  _ it.” She tsked and shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest before she spun, her hair haloing out from her head and walked the rest of the way to the dining hall.

The rest of their walk was in a thick silence.

~~~~~~

After their silent meal, they all split their separate ways. Nar hardly spoke a word or gave him a second glance. His shock turned into anger, mostly misplaced at Belishaa. He told her about Myn’ra and Nar, their relationship. The system that silently fell into place. He didn’t ask questions and neither did Nar. He was content enough to keep his feelings to himself and be her friend.

_ How long have you loved each other? _

He paced his room. How could he have feelings for Nar? She was meant for Myn. She  _ was _ Myn’s. First, he came into Myn’s life and ruined it. Gave her problems with Nar and  _ now  _ he was thinking about  _ stealing Nar from her. _

He let out a grunt and threw a pillow at his bed before flopping down on his back. His eyes fixed on the ceiling as he wallowed in his own self-loathing. He just couldn’t leave things be, could he? He had to stay and make things complicated for himself and for Nar. And now he fucked up with Myn too. He’d practically humiliated her before they left the hot springs. He’d made a mess of the relationship between Nar and Myn.

There was a knock at his door. Soft at first, then growing more confident until they were nearly hammering on the door. He threw it open and was met with a wild-haired Nar, who quickly shoved her way past him.

She was frantic, running her hands through her hair, pacing. “I’m just...I don’t know how to phrase this. It would be so easy, lyrical even, in Darnassian, but I don’t have that luxury. I can’t speak Draenic either.” She steepled her fingers under her bottom lip and took a deep steadying breath, not stopping in her pacing as she did so. Falk felt a little dizzy for her. “So here it goes in ugly Common: every time I look at you. Every time I’m around you...my mind is all fuzzy and-”

She cut herself off and stopped her pacing. Throwing herself across his bed in a huff, she stared up at the ceiling. Her feet barely dangled off the edge. “I’m fucking this up.”

He rose from his seat on the low stool just beside the slightly ajar door and crossed the room. The bed creaked when he sat on the edge, one leg tucked under him, and let his eyes roam over the bedspread. He fought the urge to grab her hands and instead folded his hands together on his lap. “I’m listening, Nar, you can tell me.”

She rolled over and sat up, mirroring his seat on the opposite side and reaching across the bed to pick up one of his hands in her own. She traced the bones with her fingertip. Her nail felt good on his skin. She flipped it over and traced the lines across his palms, lingering here and there before she followed a line up his arm. Scooting closer as she did so. Her eyes flicked up to his, molten silver, and her lips parted slightly.

He ignored the slight hitch in his heart at the sight.

“I’ve liked girls for as long as I can remember. Myn,” She kept her eyes on him, shaking in his hands, “Was the first person I loved. For a long time, it was me and her. And then…”

He gave her a shallow nod, motioning for her to continue. He knew his eyes were on her lips. Too long.

_ Focus, idiot! _

"What is it about you?" She said softly, her head barely shaking with incredulity.

Her hands drifted upwards. Cupped his face. Her thumbs traced a path under his cheekbones. “I think-” She let the statement trail off. He knew what she meant.

“Belishaa usually is a good judge of emotion.”

There was a fire kindled in her eyes. “Don’t talk about her.” Her voice was a husky whisper as she closed the distance between them.

Myn’ra was lightning. She flashed into his life and filled it with brilliance and light. But she didn’t fade or die out. She left her marks on his skin like a tree’s roots. She was rooted in him, just like he was to her.

If Myn was lightning, Nar was fire. A fire that scoured him from head to toe. Fire that left a Nar shaped hole in him that only clutching her helped to fill. But the fire cooled until it hardened.

_ And now you can never be parted.  _ A voice whispered in the back of his mind.

He let his eyes flutter open just in time to catch a glimpse of Myn’s open-mouthed face in the crack of the door.

_ Shit. _

Myn pushed open the door silently. 

Nar jumped back, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand sheepishly.

"It's about damn time.  _ I _ was starting to get pent up just looking at the two of you idiots."

Both just gave Myn looks of abject horror as she crossed the room and sat down across from Falk on the stool he’d abandoned.

“Why did you come here?” Nar asked, her voice too high. Too tight.

Myn bent her head and stared at her fingers twisting together in her lap. “I came to apologize.”

“I’m sorry too, Myn.” They both said in unison, casting looks to each other as they did so.

“We all were pretty shitty to each other, weren’t we?” Myn mused, raising her head to meet with Falk and Nar’s gaze. “Nar, I’m sorry for going all Kyena and not telling you anything. Falk, much the same. I know you both were worried about me. I hadn’t slept in I don’t know how long. I had to cool off and then I was too proud to admit I was a  _ little _ wrong.” She held her hands out as far as they would go, measuring.

They all laughed, Falk and Nar’s notably more forced.

Her eyes darted between them. “Alright. Apologies accepted?”

Nar nodded and Falk mumbled agreement.

Myn licked at her lips and stared at the floor. “We have to talk about it. I did sort of catch you both in a  _ very _ compromising position.”

He cast a glance at Nar and opened his mouth to speak when she hushed him and turned to Myn. “I came here after a sparring bout with one of his old friends. She’s apparently  _ very  _ good at reading people because she sniffed out our feelings for each other about two seconds after Falk and I sparred. I knew I had to come to talk to him then.”

Myn flicked her eyes from Nar to Falk and back again. “Nothing like the cat coming out of the bag.”

She shifted from one foot to the other, her eyes flicking to the door. She looked almost ready to bolt but something glued down her feet. “I still love you, Myn. I don’t want to leave you. But I don’t want to leave him either.”

Myn met her eyes. “I know the feeling.” Her words were so dire. It sent a knife through his heart.

Falk could feel his furious blush as he bent his head in shame. Then a thought hit him. Nearly knocked him from his seat. He jumped up and looked at both of them. “My people sometimes have more than one partner.”

Myn blinked as if the thought had never occurred to her. “Ours have before too. A long time to experiment with yourself.” She smirked, quirking up the right side of her mouth. “And others.”

“What are you saying?” Nar cocked her head at him, narrowing her eyes.

“I’m saying that we don’t have to choose or feel like we’re going behind the other’s backs. All of us. Together. If you want it.”

Nar nodded slowly, mulling it over. “That might work.”

“We all agree?” He turned his attention now to Myn.

She knelt before the both of them, taking one of their hands into her own. “If that is what you both want, I agree. I cannot think of having to leave one of you behind. This feels like…”

“Fate.” Nar supplied.

Myn fought against her smile. “Fate.”

Falk looked over to Nar and beyond, at the endless stretch of mountains around them out his window.

He thought he saw a flash of gold and bronze. Of a slim elven woman that seemed both young and old and ageless all at once.

~~~~~~

Myn left them to tend to Stormwolf. Someone had been overfeeding the wolf, trying to appease him when they walked past. Now she had to range him to... _ move _ him along.

He and Nar padded slowly outside the walls of the monastery. Bundled yet again against the biting cold up in the mountains. They looked like miniature mountains themselves.

“There’s something that I need to tell you,” Her words were slow, measured. Like something weighed heavy on her. “Something about  _ my  _ family-”

A crackle of energy made his hair raise. He couldn't even utter a cry as the spell took hold. He fell into the snow face down, but arms threw him over. He stared up into Nar’s face as the felguard drew closer to her.

“ _ Nar!”  _ He’d wanted to scream it. To tear the very mountain down with his voice. 

All that came out was a strangled groan of fear.

She turned just in time to see the handle of the felguard’s sword as it smashed into the side of her head.

“Thank you for bringing her all the way out here.” A woman’s face drifted into his field of vision. Her eyes were crazed, glazed over like she wasn’t there. Her face was twisted into a feral grimace.

“Who-”

She tsked and shook her head. Her pale blue hair fell into his face as she did so. “Faelysa Starlance. Not that it matters if you know. You’re a dead man.”

He could do nothing more than hiss and bare his teeth at her. “I’ll kill you.”

Those silver eyes twinkled with madness. “We shall see.”

The force held him in place as she knelt over him and groped through the layers until she hit skin. Then the burn of a blade ripped through the old wound that Nar had healed so long ago. Through the vein. She left him there.

But he left his own surprise. Slipping it into her armor when she did her work.

She left him bleeding on the side of that mountain. But she forgot one thing.

He wasn’t alone.

The darkness was met with a stabilizing warmth. A huff of breath against his face followed by a quick slurp of a tongue that threatened to drown him in slobber.

He felt the tug and the grunting of someone hauling him into the saddle but nothing after.

~~~~~~

He awoke to Myn’s worried face above his own. “Myn’ra.” He rasped, “Send word to Kyena.”

She looked confused. “Why? What? Where is Nar? What happened?”

He turned grave. Let out a sigh. “She was taken.”


	11. Mission

The dragon swallowed the sunlight with her shadow. The monks stared in awe alongside their students. Everyone's eyes were on the sky.

Nyreenastrasza thudded to the ground. It rattled the bones in Falk’s body. Trails of steam spiraled from her nostrils. There was a fire in her eyes that sent every hair rising on Falk’s body. He felt Belishaa tense next to him. She even took a step back away from the fury that burned within that large red eye.

In that fury, he almost didn’t see the three other dragons that flanked Nyreen, nor the riders on their backs.

Kyena slid from Nyreen’s back. Fully armored with her cloak flapping against her purposeful stride. Her fury matched Nyreen’s. Perhaps even multiplied it tenfold. She stalked into the training yard, her glare bouncing from person to person, sucking out any sound from the space. Then it fixed on Falk and Myn.

" _ Quo ne min? _ " Her voice was ice as she growled out the words.

_ Where is she? _ Simple enough words. Falkhen wondered the same thing. Wondered if they were even still there. But the stone still sang out to Belishaa. The beacon if he ever became lost on Draenor.  Now it was a beacon for Nar. So close but achingly out of reach.

~~~~~~

It had been two days. Two days of nail-biting silence.

Kyena gave them no response. 

Over those two days, they watched the skies for signs of Kyena and her dragon. Dawn until dusk.

Now that she was here, everyone wanted to crawl into a hole.

She paced and stalked as she listened to Myn’ra speak in liquid Darnassian, quick as ever. Occasionally she’d let out a hiss or make some sort of snorting sound.

Falk cleared his throat and took a step out of the background of what had become battle planning.

“I have a plan.” He supplied.

“Is it a good plan?” Kyena didn’t seem the least bit amused.

“It’s a plan.”

Kyena let out a low hiss and turned to Myn’ra. “What do we know?”

“Kyena, I’ve already told you everything. Faelysa Kal’lok. Min ne’naen haena nei. Min ne ilisar.” She nearly spat the words. She bared her teeth as she spoke. Snarling like a saber. Or a wolf.

_ Faelysa Starlance is not one of us. She is an enemy. _

Kyena looked grave for a moment in spite of Myn’ra’s near righteous fury. “Nei anarae naen di'enu tir Kalen. Naen ei haena flos.”

_ We speak nothing of this to Kalen. Not a single whisper. _

“Ru naen ei naen’falmina.” Myn’ra hissed.

_ I’m not an idiot. _

Kyena’s eyes flicked to Falk. She shoved away from the table that she stood behind. The war table. Myn’ra stayed in her seat to Kyena’s right. She merely watched as she stalked her way over to him.

“You may not be, Myn’ra, but he is.” Her words were ice. And fire. It burned across his soul as he stood meekly. Knowing they were true.

“How could you?” Kyena’s voice verged on tears.  _ Tears.  _ Through the ice and fire and bravado that she could muster. Kyena was  _ afraid. _ He could see it. Directing that outwards was the only way the huntress could stay sharp. Not tear through the valleys and caves and peaks looking for the stolen Nar.

So he stood there and let her hiss her curses at him, silently, head bowed. She paced all around him like a saber circling for the kill.

She stood in front of him now. “She would not be lost if you would’ve  _ fought-” _

_ “I had no choice!” _ He roared, tears falling from his eyes now. He flexed the leg, still wrapped in bandages, stinging worse than it ever had. As quick as the anger flared it was gone. He shook his head, eyes falling closed, more tears leaking down his cheeks. “It’s not my fault.” He whispered.

_ Oh Falkhen, but it is. You should have been stronger. _

“ _ Kyena,” _ Myn growled. “He put that tracker on Faelysa not knowing if she’d discover it. He nearly bled to death trying to get back here to tell us what happened. He knows where they’re at. Faelysa took her to a cave nearby.”

She flicked her eyes between Myn and Falk. “Which one?”

“The naen’falmina took her to caves just outside the monastery. Maybe she thought we wouldn’t look too close. We already have word sent to two initiates there. They’re outside. Waiting.” Myn’ra drew her lips into a snarl. “She hasn’t moved for two days while we  _ waited _ .”

Kyena turned her head painstakingly slowly to Myn’ra. “I couldn’t send a letter on the back of a dragon, could I?”

She scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest. Lips pursed. Brow arched. “So you could play savior?”

The growl that tore from Kyena’s throat had Falk’s hair raising. It reminded him of what the Kaldorei had been before. Something wild.

“ _ Mother _ .”

Galidor. His eyes were stone. Body rigid. “We want her back just as much as you, but you won’t get anywhere by fighting with everyone else. They’re just trying to help. Let them.”

She looked at him strangely. Weighing her options. Then her anger seemed to leak from her. She sighed and rubbed at her face. “You said you had a plan?”

“The stone that I slipped into her armor. It’s a homing beacon for the Rangari. It was given as a gift. Belishaa was given a piece of it, along with the rest of my friends and family, just in case anything happened to me. Belishaa knows where it is.”

She stepped forward. “I can have a group ready to add to the scouts that are already there. She’s in a cave. Trapped.”

Kyena pursed her lips ever so slightly. “We can’t be sure that Faelysa won’t just hurt her. Or kill her.”

“We’ll make sure its faster than that.” Belishaa was just as adamant as Kyena. “She won’t even know what hit her.”

She leveled her eyes at Belishaa. Falkhen could see the fire that lingered under her skin. The lightning. It all seemed to crackle within those silver eyes.

“Then move out.”

~~~~~~

_ Meanwhile... _

"Little draaagon." A female voice sang.

Nar wheezed and coughed, lifting her heavy head towards the sickly light that flooded into the small cavern.

Just outside her reach stood a young woman. Younger than herself but not youthful.  _ Azshulaena's age. Elariel's. _

"What do you want?" She rasped, wincing at the pain shooting through her head when she moved it. She chanced a look around, looking for Falk’s hulking body. "Where is Falkhen?"

"I left the oaf behind. Too heavy to carry." She smirked at Nar. “He’s probably dead.”

Rage boiled her blood. “If you hurt him-” Her hands clenched into fists, raising them she found they were shackled together, the end of the chain sunk deep into the rock above her. Long enough that she could rest her hands in her lap but too short to do any damage to herself or the stranger.

“What, little dragon, you’ll kill me? Burn me alive? Not much you can do to me right now...or ever. You don’t have a dragon. No bond to call upon.” The woman sighed and dropped into a squat, her feet flat against the floor with her forearms resting on her knees. "Besides, I can't hurt you. If he can't have Taylande and Landrelia... he'll take you."

"Nilan." She said the name with as much venom as she could muster.

Faelysa snorted. "Kazoch. The secret’s out on that front." She grew thoughtful, staring off into space. "Though Nilan wasn’t the right name either. People just assumed after his brother disappeared-"

"Brother? Whose brother?"

" _ Nilan's _ brother. Shaellian." She sneered and cocked her head. “You really have been sequestering yourself away from it all, huh?”

“There’s no records of Nilan having a brother.”

Faelysa’s sneer turned into a feral smile. “There would be if Kyena would open her damn eyes. But no. She sees what she wants to, hm?”

“Your cousin has been getting up to some trouble in your absence. She and her  _ mongrel  _ friends sent Kazoch to the Nether. But he'll be back soon. Just like the rest of them."

"My cousin?” She couldn’t help but feel like there was a joke that she wasn’t in on. Or a dangling sword above her head.

Faelysa chuckled. “Taylande of course.”

Nym just shook her head. Reality seemed to shatter in her mind. A block was gone and with it came an onslaught of memories. Of truths locked away. “Taylande is my half-sister.” She found herself saying.

"No, little dragon, she's your  _ cousin _ ."

"My  _ father is Fanarol." _ She broke out in a sweat that made her shiver. She couldn't fight the growing coldness in her face. Nor the burning heat that flooded her. She was ice cold and burning hot all at once.

Faelysa tsked and shook her head. "Your father,” She sucked in a deep dramatic breath, “Is  _ Lithmyr _ ." She toed a bag that laid next to Nym. The flap fell open. A skull rolled out.

A skull that had dagger marks all around the eye socket.

She stared at it. Frozen to the spot. She almost heard the voice. The-

“It took a long time to find where Kyena buried him.” Faelysa picked up the skull. “And now Kazoch has his favorite toy back.” She eyed Nar strangely as a smirk grew on her face.

“Why don’t you give dear old dad a kiss?” 

Nar backed away with a hiss. Her eyes never left those carved marks. 

Faelysa let out a bellowing laugh. “You’ll get to talk to him again soon enough. Kazoch has need of him.” She left her with a chuckle and a haphazard toss of Lithmyr’s skull at her feet.

She fought the urge to vomit. To curl away from that skull.

But something else drove her hands forward. Haltingly. Until she touched it. The dual memories. Ones implanted and changed. She had to know.

It didn’t burst into flames in her hands. It didn’t burn her like she thought it might have. It didn’t toss her into some vision.

All she felt was sadness. An aching sadness.

She looked up when the rocks scattered anew and felt cold all over again. A coldness that soon turned to fiery anger in her chest.

"I didn't do it." His ghostly voice whispered. "Please-"

She cast the skull aside and drew her knees to her chest. Lithmyr disappeared into nothingness. Like he'd never existed.

Much like her mother had all those years ago when Selindil had come.

_ Am I always going to be alone, Mother? Is that my curse? Hunted down for the rest of my life? Memories all mixed? _

She couldn’t muster the anger for her mother anymore. It was replaced with indifference. More than a touch of shame.

_ Maybe we’re more alike than I thought, Mother, we both don’t care about each other. But you still tried to leave me with family. How could you know that they’d be connected to monsters? _

Her eyes drifted back to the skull. Then the wheels in her mind clicked together.

_ If they dug him back up, spent all that time... _

“They’re going to resurrect you.” She whispered as she picked Lith’s skull back up. She looked up to the ghostly image of him again. “Why are you stuck here?”

He stood there. Blinking at her in disbelief. When it looked like she was going to toss his head aside again, he found his voice. “Unfinished business.” He sputtered, nearly tripping over the words.

She bit back a retort. Her lip curling with the effort. “You said you didn’t do it. What did you mean?” She was losing the feeling in her face. Growing colder the longer she had to look at him.

“I didn’t do anything to you. Or Landrelia.” He grew even more desperate as he begged. “Please, you have to believe me.”

“Why should I?”

His eyes drifted closed. She tried to ignore the pain that was written there. “You don’t have to.” His hands fell to his sides, shoulders curling around himself. He’d never looked so small to her. Small and frail. He’d always been the monster in her nightmares. The too-tall figure that chased her at night. That lurked in the shadows beside Selindil.

But that wasn’t quite right. The memories roared at her to fear him. To kill him. Wipe him away from this earth. But others came rising to the surface now. Ones she thought she couldn’t remember. Hazy images of Taryanda above her. Singing to her in a voice so sweet and calming that she couldn’t help but feel at ease. The warmth and safety she felt nestled in Lithmyr’s arms in those same hazy memories of an infant.

The whisper of her true name on his lips like a prayer to Elune. Like she had been the most precious gift the Goddess could’ve given him.

This... _ thing _ before her did not strike her with fear. It made her feel pity. This small and broken thing that begged for forgiveness. She watched as he turned his back to her and sat on the ground, trying to curl himself into a ball.

This being was her father.

“What happened to you?”

He half-turned back to her. The sadness in his eyes. She’d seen the same look on her own face in Lahk’heim after Selindil. The hollow shadows. Gaunt. Hopeless. “Kyena.”

It was enough to make her gulp. “What did she do to you?”

“Retribution. Let her think nothing else until the time is right.” He looked back to the passageway for a moment before he turned back to her. “You’ve gotten rid of the block he put on your mind, didn’t you?”

She nodded. Her fingers drifted to the gouges in the eye socket. Taylande did a number on him.

“Everything is always so cryptic with this family.” She muttered as she settled the skull in her lap. Her chains rattled together as she did so. She had hoped it would goad him into more conversation but he merely sighed as he began to fade away, leaving her alone with her thoughts once more. The heaviness in her head pulled at her eyes. Whatever Faelysa had in mind for her, she’d face when she woke again.

That, or when she was awoken by the sounds of wolves tearing Faelysa apart.

_ When, not if.  _ She thought as her eyes drifted closed, fingers curling around the back of the skull.  _ When Myn’ra and Falkhen come they’ll bring the wrath of Tor’landa with them. _

~~~~~~

Falkhen hated this part. The waiting before the ambush. He felt the stone move through the cave system. Deeper in. Belishaa and a handful of the monks from the monastery were waiting with them. They had their own lands to protect, the Sha to keep at bay. It was bad enough that they were running rampant after the battle underneath the Jade Serpent. Things were simmering on Pandaria and adding hateful demons to that mix was a recipe for disaster. 

He could feel the portal yawning open. Had she discovered the stone? Did she know that they were waiting for her to come to the entrance? These questions thundered in his mind.

Finally, Faelysa exited the cave’s mouth, stretching and cracking her neck as she surveyed the sky for something. She seemed to be growing more anxious as whatever sign kept from showing up.

Within moments -heartbeats- they launched themselves from their hiding spots and into battle. Faelysa wheeled back and ran into the cave, muttering incantations the whole time. Felguard appeared but they were cut through by Jai’alator and Falkhen’s sword. Kyena and Falk were the first ones in. Myn’ra and the others would stay behind and make sure they weren’t penned in by whatever tricks Faelysa may have stored for potential interlopers.

They chased the madwoman down further into the cave system. Down to where her precious cargo may have been stored. Falk tamped down the fear that they might get there too late. That she may already be-

Nar’s hands may have been chained but she had no fear. Anger and fire danced in those glowing eyes. Who he was finally registered on her face as she looked up at him with tearful eyes. She dropped to her knees, the breath knocked out of her, and let out a cry. 

He was just reaching out for her when he felt the crackle of fel behind him. He and Nar both ducked under the felbolt as it slammed and splintered the rock behind Nar into dust.

“I’m no fool!” Faelysa cried as she drew the stone from her armor. “It took me a while but I found your dirty trick, Xaxas.”

He shook off the shock and brushed his thumb over Nar’s cheek before he readied his sword. Kyena got into line next to him, blocking Nar from whatever else Faelysa might throw at them.

Faelysa flicked her mad eyes between them before she smirked, throwing her spellwork into a circle. “I’d like to stay and fight this out, but I’d rather have the odds in my favor.” She gave them one last maddened cackle before she stepped into the portal and disappeared as it snapped shut behind her.

From deeper within the cave, he heard the marching of feet. The felguard, which came from another portal of Faelysa’s making no doubt, blocked the exit quickly, cutting them off even from Myn’ra and Belishaa at the mouth of the cave.

He swept his sword back, crushing through the stone that anchored Nar’s chain. He handed her the sword she’d luckily left behind at the monastery. “We need to shut that portal down.”

Then they began cutting their way through to where the portal lay.

They were nearly there, the acrid tang of brimstone and the crackling of fel raising their hair when he felt a sweep before his tired legs could move. His head cracked hard against the stone. Something shattered against his head. He watched through slit eyes as the felguard raised its sword high above its head to finish off their killing blow.

His hand drifted through what felt like mud. Stretched up to feebly fend off the sword.

A high screech shook the felguard’s attention. 

There was a jet of flame. Hotter than he’d ever felt.

The demon was  _ gone. _ Ash blowing in the wind. Kyena’s chest heaved. She looked almost... _ scared _ . Slowly the redness in her eyes faded, returning to her normal silver. But they brightened again, flashing back to orange-red, the fire lighting up her chest like her heart was aflame. She chased the felguard back to where they came from, squeals and roars of pain telling where she went.

Nar dropped into a crouch when the rest of their squad came thundering past them to the sounds of battle. "Falkhen?"

There were two of her. Three. Four.

Darkness.


End file.
